Differential effect of melatonin on ram spermatozoa depending on the allelic variant of the RsaI polymorphism of the MTR1A gene, incubation medium and season
Victoria Peña-Delgado
A , Agustí Noya A , Melissa Carvajal-Serna A , José A Abecia A , Rosaura Pérez-Pe A and Adriana Casao A *
A
Abstract
The RsaI polymorphism of the melatonin receptor MTNR1A gene affects seasonal reproduction in sheep, but its effect on ram spermatozoa and their response to melatonin is unknown.
This study aims to evaluate whether RsaI polymorphism of the MTNR1A gene influences the response of ram spermatozoa to in vitro added melatonin.
Spermatozoa from rams carrying different RsaI allelic variants were incubated with melatonin in a TALP medium or a capacitation-triggering medium during the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. After incubation, sperm motility, membrane integrity, mitochondria activity, oxidative damage, apoptotic markers and capacitation status were assessed.
In the reproductive season, the T/T genotype was related to some adverse effects of melatonin when spermatozoa were incubated in TALP medium, whereas the C/C genotype was linked with adverse effects when the hormone was added in a capacitation-triggering medium. The decapacitating effect of melatonin on spermatozoa was also different depending on genotype.
The melatonin effect on spermatozoa from rams carrying different RsaI genotypes differed depending on the season and the medium.
The knowledge of the RsaI allelic variant of the MTNR1A gene of rams could be helpful when carrying out in vitro reproductive techniques in the ovine species.
Keywords: Capacitation, incubation, melatonin, MTNR1A polymorphism, ram sperm, receptor, RsaI, sheep.
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