GALVANIC SEPARATION OF X- AND Y-CHROMOSOME-BEARING SPERM1

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Abstract
From the first publication on electrophoretic behavior of sperm (Mudd, Mudd and Keltch, 1929) to more recent reports (Nevo, Michaeli and Schindler, 1961; Bangham, 1961), researchers generally agree that non-motile or immobilized sperm all possess net negative charges on their outer surfaces and migrate toward the anode in neutral buffers. Exceptions to anodic migration of sperm during electrophoresis appear to occur when motile sperm are electrophoresed (Schroder, 1941; Lewin, 1956; Gordon, 1957). Lewin (1960), Nevo et al. 1961 and Bangham (1961) discussed limitations on the inferences which can be drawn from those observations. Nevertheless, Schroder (1941) and Gordon (1957) reported that inseminations with electrophoresed sperm resulted in significant deviations from normally expected sex ratios. On the other hand, Siljander (1936), Kordts (1952), Pilz (1952) and Vesselinovich (1960) found little or no evidence to confirm electrophoretic separation of sperm bearing X- and Y-chromosomes. Our research with rabbit and bull sperm was motivated largely by Bangham's (1961) detailed description of the movements of motile ram and rabbit sperm during electrophoresis. In buffers with low ionic strength, he found two kinds of sperm. One, which he called “tail anode” sperm had a higher net negative charge on the tail than on the head. This kind of sperm was electrophoresed toward the anode but swam toward the cathode, and its speed depended upon the field strength. At high field strength, it could be moved tail first toward the anode. The other type, which Bangham called “head anode” sperm, apparently possessed higher net negative charge

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