Sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with ram fertility

The aim of this study is to analyze DNA integrity, shape morphology, and membrane integrity in sperm from low-fertility (LF) and adequate- or normal-fertility (AF) rams. Various sperm evaluation methods such as sperm chromatin dispersion assay, Fourier harmonic amplitude (FHA) analysis, and other im...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mustafa Bodu, Mustafa Hitit, Ayse Sari, Mesut Kirbas, Bulent Bulbul, Mehmet Bozkurt Ataman, Mustafa Numan Bucak, John Parrish, Abdullah Kaya, Erdogan Memili
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Veterinary Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1577004/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849328066686353408
author Mustafa Bodu
Mustafa Bodu
Mustafa Hitit
Mustafa Hitit
Ayse Sari
Mesut Kirbas
Bulent Bulbul
Mehmet Bozkurt Ataman
Mustafa Numan Bucak
John Parrish
Abdullah Kaya
Abdullah Kaya
Erdogan Memili
author_facet Mustafa Bodu
Mustafa Bodu
Mustafa Hitit
Mustafa Hitit
Ayse Sari
Mesut Kirbas
Bulent Bulbul
Mehmet Bozkurt Ataman
Mustafa Numan Bucak
John Parrish
Abdullah Kaya
Abdullah Kaya
Erdogan Memili
author_sort Mustafa Bodu
collection DOAJ
description The aim of this study is to analyze DNA integrity, shape morphology, and membrane integrity in sperm from low-fertility (LF) and adequate- or normal-fertility (AF) rams. Various sperm evaluation methods such as sperm chromatin dispersion assay, Fourier harmonic amplitude (FHA) analysis, and other image analysis of morphometric parameters were used. An additional aim is to employ new statistical models with high reliability to predict ram fertility based on sperm head morphology parameters. Fresh semen was collected from 41 AF (conception rate 95.1% ± 0.6%) and 27 LF (conception rate 79.7% ± 2.5%) rams using artificial vagina. Differences (p < 0.05) were observed in percent motile sperm (mean ± SEM, 64% ± 3%, 72% ± 2%), percent viable sperm (78 ± 2%, 84 ± 1%), and head and acrosome abnormalities (1.9% ± 0.4%, 3.4% ± 0.4%) between LF and AF rams. The findings of different analyses also showed that the fertility of rams is not associated with DNA fragmentation (p > 0.05). Using the FHA analysis, an average head shape of ram sperm was constructed and harmonic amplitude 2 was determined, which tended to differ between the two ram fertility groups (p = 0.059). Based on the FHA and morphometric analysis, a significant linear discriminant model was constructed (p = 0.0013), which allowed for specificity in identifying LF rams (6/9, 66.7%) and sensitivity in identifying AF rams (39/47, 83.0%). The overall error rate remained good, which was 11/56 (20%). The findings of this study suggest that sperm DNA damage might not be used to predict ram fertility and that the statistical model based on the FHA analysis can be a potential tool in predicting ram fertility.
format Article
id doaj-art-8524c3f44b4a4ac2b38c8d92b13dd2e3
institution Kabale University
issn 2297-1769
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Veterinary Science
spelling doaj-art-8524c3f44b4a4ac2b38c8d92b13dd2e32025-08-20T03:47:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Veterinary Science2297-17692025-05-011210.3389/fvets.2025.15770041577004Sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with ram fertilityMustafa Bodu0Mustafa Bodu1Mustafa Hitit2Mustafa Hitit3Ayse Sari4Mesut Kirbas5Bulent Bulbul6Mehmet Bozkurt Ataman7Mustafa Numan Bucak8John Parrish9Abdullah Kaya10Abdullah Kaya11Erdogan Memili12Cooperative Agricultural Research Center, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX, United StatesDepartment of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, TürkiyeCooperative Agricultural Research Center, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX, United StatesDepartment of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, TürkiyeDepartment of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, TürkiyeBahri Dagdas International Agricultural Research Institute, Konya, TürkiyeDepartment of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, TürkiyeDepartment of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, TürkiyeDepartment of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, TürkiyeDepartment of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesDepartment of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, TürkiyeDepartment of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesCooperative Agricultural Research Center, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX, United StatesThe aim of this study is to analyze DNA integrity, shape morphology, and membrane integrity in sperm from low-fertility (LF) and adequate- or normal-fertility (AF) rams. Various sperm evaluation methods such as sperm chromatin dispersion assay, Fourier harmonic amplitude (FHA) analysis, and other image analysis of morphometric parameters were used. An additional aim is to employ new statistical models with high reliability to predict ram fertility based on sperm head morphology parameters. Fresh semen was collected from 41 AF (conception rate 95.1% ± 0.6%) and 27 LF (conception rate 79.7% ± 2.5%) rams using artificial vagina. Differences (p < 0.05) were observed in percent motile sperm (mean ± SEM, 64% ± 3%, 72% ± 2%), percent viable sperm (78 ± 2%, 84 ± 1%), and head and acrosome abnormalities (1.9% ± 0.4%, 3.4% ± 0.4%) between LF and AF rams. The findings of different analyses also showed that the fertility of rams is not associated with DNA fragmentation (p > 0.05). Using the FHA analysis, an average head shape of ram sperm was constructed and harmonic amplitude 2 was determined, which tended to differ between the two ram fertility groups (p = 0.059). Based on the FHA and morphometric analysis, a significant linear discriminant model was constructed (p = 0.0013), which allowed for specificity in identifying LF rams (6/9, 66.7%) and sensitivity in identifying AF rams (39/47, 83.0%). The overall error rate remained good, which was 11/56 (20%). The findings of this study suggest that sperm DNA damage might not be used to predict ram fertility and that the statistical model based on the FHA analysis can be a potential tool in predicting ram fertility.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1577004/fullramfertilityDNA integritysperm headFourier analysis
spellingShingle Mustafa Bodu
Mustafa Bodu
Mustafa Hitit
Mustafa Hitit
Ayse Sari
Mesut Kirbas
Bulent Bulbul
Mehmet Bozkurt Ataman
Mustafa Numan Bucak
John Parrish
Abdullah Kaya
Abdullah Kaya
Erdogan Memili
Sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with ram fertility
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
ram
fertility
DNA integrity
sperm head
Fourier analysis
title Sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with ram fertility
title_full Sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with ram fertility
title_fullStr Sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with ram fertility
title_full_unstemmed Sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with ram fertility
title_short Sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with ram fertility
title_sort sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with ram fertility
topic ram
fertility
DNA integrity
sperm head
Fourier analysis
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1577004/full
work_keys_str_mv AT mustafabodu spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT mustafabodu spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT mustafahitit spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT mustafahitit spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT aysesari spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT mesutkirbas spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT bulentbulbul spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT mehmetbozkurtataman spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT mustafanumanbucak spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT johnparrish spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT abdullahkaya spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT abdullahkaya spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility
AT erdoganmemili spermcellularandnucleardynamicsassociatedwithramfertility