Marking Boar Spermatozoa with Fluorochromes for Evaluating Spermatozoan Transport within Gilts

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Abstract
A method of marking spermatozoa from one boar before insemination was developed to see if the unequal ratios of progeny from gilts inseminated with mixed semen from two boars could be accounted for by unequal numbers of spermatozoa being transported to the ova. Several fluorochromes were evaluated as possible spermatozo a markers. Flu-oroscene isothiocyanate (FITC, 10 μg per milliliter of semen) was found to be a very effective spermatozoan marker in that it had no detrimental effect on spermatozoan transport or fertilization and it was easily detected.FITC was used to stain spermatozoa from either one of two sires before mixing equal numbers of spermatozoa from each male. Inseminating 37 gilts with mixed semen resulted in fewer (P<.05) spermatozoa from boar B1 attaching to the ova than spermatozoa from either boars W1 or W2. In an additional 23 gilts, B1 sired fewer (P<.05) progeny than W1 or W2. The results indicated that the deviation from equal numbers of progeny from gilts inseminated with equal numbers of spermatozoa from two males resulted from differences in spermatozoan transport within the female and not selective fertilization.

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