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Kurta K, Jeuthe H, Naboulsi R, de Koning DJ, Palaiokostas C
BMC Genomics 24 (1) 519 [2023-09-04; online 2023-09-04]
Substantial variation in male fertility is regularly observed in farmed Arctic charr. However, detailed investigations of its fluctuation during a reproductive season and across years are lacking. Furthermore, information about the effect of underlying genetic factors influencing sperm quality is scarce. The current study focused on seasonal and age-related factors that may affect sperm quality characteristics in males reared in natural and delayed photoperiods. Animals were sampled three times for two consecutive years, and sperm quality parameters were recorded using a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system. Thereafter, high-throughput sequencing technologies were applied, aiming to identify genomic regions related to the variation of sperm quality throughout the reproductive season. An across-season variation in the recorded sperm quality parameters was evident. Overall, 29% and 42% of males from the natural and delayed spawning groups had a highly variable total progressive motility. Males at four years of age showed significantly higher sperm motility and velocities during the early October and November recordings compared to the following year when the same animals were five years of age. On the other hand, the opposite was observed regarding sperm concentration during the last sampling. A genome-wide FST scan detected SNP differentiation among males with high and low variability in total progressive motility (PM) on eight chromosomes (FST > 0.17), Genome wide windows with the highest FST contained SNPs in proximity (within 250 kb up- and downstream distance) to 16 genes with sperm quality biological functions in mammalian species. Our findings provide a detailed view of seasonal, age-related, and genetic effects on sperm quality and can be used to guide decisions on broodstock selection and hatchery management.
NGI Uppsala (SNP&SEQ Technology Platform) [Service]
National Genomics Infrastructure [Service]
PubMed 37667174
DOI 10.1186/s12864-023-09614-9
Crossref 10.1186/s12864-023-09614-9
pmc: PMC10478403
pii: 10.1186/s12864-023-09614-9