Proteomics for the identification of biomarkers of seminal quality in horses
- Autores: Gemma Hannan Louise Gaitskell Phillips
- Directores de la Tesis: Fernando Juan Peña Vega (dir. tes.), Cristina Ortega Ferrusola (codir. tes.), Francisco Eduardo Martin Cano (codir. tes.)
- Lectura: En la Universidad de Extremadura ( España ) en 2023
- Idioma: español
- Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: María Montserrat Rivera del Álamo (presid.), Carolina María Balao da Silva (secret.), Beatriz Macías García (voc.)
- Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Biomarcadores de Salud y Estados Patológicos por la Universidad de Extremadura
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- Resumen
The equine breeding industry is of high economic value and in recent years there have been substantial advances in knowledge of sperm biology and biotechnologies. Equines are somewhat different to other production species as human selection has not focused on fertility, but on other characteristics, such as morphology or athletic ability. This has led to a situation where there is a wide variability in fertility of stallions and, despite recent advances in the field of equine reproduction and molecular mechanisms affecting sperm, there is a lack of basic understanding as to the causes of infertility and intolerance of artificial reproductive technologies in some individuals. To date semen conservation in the stallion is principally through refrigeration and freezing; both strategies which slow spermatic metabolism. This enables extension of sperm lifespan in vitro with sufficient energy reserves to allow for successful fertilisation once deposited in the mare reproductive tract. To fully understand the mechanisms behind individual variability and why individuals respond differently to these technologies, a deeper understanding of sperm biology and metabolism is necessary. The structure of the spermatozoa and the fact that it is a translationally and transcriptionally silent cell makes it the ideal subject for study using proteomics. To date proteomics has been responsible for providing significant amounts of new information to augment our understanding of these highly specialised cells. As a result, it is likely that the near future will see modifications of current protocols used for sperm conservation and manipulation in vitro, ensuring regulation of spermatic homeostasis and modulation of excessive production of reactive oxygen species, resulting in more successful fertility outcomes. In addition, proteomic studies are also contributing to the identification of biomarkers which can be used to predict the behaviour of spermatozoa in the face of certain reproductive technologies and in the future this will no doubt lead to a reduction in costs and the customisation of extender formulations used for semen conservation, temperatures for short-term storage and other aspects of artificial reproductive technology protocols, leading to more successful conservation of stallion genetic material, and subsequently fertility rates.
