Despite advances in biology, physiology, and in technology, there is a lack of fundamental knowledge on markers and mechanisms of sperm fertility prediction and its preservation across the mammals including humans and endangered species, preventing advances in both basic science and biotechnology. For example, little is known about the non-genetic contributions of the sperm to processes such as fertilization, embryonic development, pregnancy establishment and maintenance. These non-genetic contributions could include epigenetic programming of male development and sperm viability, and other biomolecular cargo that could directly contribute to pregnancy establishment and maintenance.
With the advances in reproductive technologies, especially artificial insemination, the extensive use of a reduced pool of bulls exerts major pressure in the selection of males of superior sperm quality and/or sperm fertility. In recent years there is evidence that contributions of the sperm to pregnancy go beyond fertilization, and those markers of sperm fertility are not usually captured in routine sperm quality assessments. Identifying males of superior fertility will be crucial to support sustainable food production, and economic profitability of livestock operations around the world.
Therefore, the overall goal of this research topic is to have a scientific resource on sperm markers and mechanisms associated with mammalian male fertility, using bovine as the leading model. Specific objective is to have collections of original research and review articles related to the following topics on sperm fertility and freezability:
- Sperm functional genome including transcriptome, proteome, lipidome, and metabolome
- Sperm epigenome including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin dynamics, and small RNAs
- Biomarkers of sperm freezability/cryotolerance, function, and fertility including capacitation and successful pregnancy
- Parental age, nutrition, and environmental exposure on the sperm production, physiology, function, and sperm mediated epigenetic inheritance
- New frontiers for the study of sperm cryopreservation and fertility including top-down and single-cell proteomics, single cell analyses of sperm heterogeneity, and nanotechnology and sperm cryopreservation
- Effects of climate and environmental stressors on sperm production, physiology, and function
- Semen exomes and sperm function
Despite advances in biology, physiology, and in technology, there is a lack of fundamental knowledge on markers and mechanisms of sperm fertility prediction and its preservation across the mammals including humans and endangered species, preventing advances in both basic science and biotechnology. For example, little is known about the non-genetic contributions of the sperm to processes such as fertilization, embryonic development, pregnancy establishment and maintenance. These non-genetic contributions could include epigenetic programming of male development and sperm viability, and other biomolecular cargo that could directly contribute to pregnancy establishment and maintenance.
With the advances in reproductive technologies, especially artificial insemination, the extensive use of a reduced pool of bulls exerts major pressure in the selection of males of superior sperm quality and/or sperm fertility. In recent years there is evidence that contributions of the sperm to pregnancy go beyond fertilization, and those markers of sperm fertility are not usually captured in routine sperm quality assessments. Identifying males of superior fertility will be crucial to support sustainable food production, and economic profitability of livestock operations around the world.
Therefore, the overall goal of this research topic is to have a scientific resource on sperm markers and mechanisms associated with mammalian male fertility, using bovine as the leading model. Specific objective is to have collections of original research and review articles related to the following topics on sperm fertility and freezability:
- Sperm functional genome including transcriptome, proteome, lipidome, and metabolome
- Sperm epigenome including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin dynamics, and small RNAs
- Biomarkers of sperm freezability/cryotolerance, function, and fertility including capacitation and successful pregnancy
- Parental age, nutrition, and environmental exposure on the sperm production, physiology, function, and sperm mediated epigenetic inheritance
- New frontiers for the study of sperm cryopreservation and fertility including top-down and single-cell proteomics, single cell analyses of sperm heterogeneity, and nanotechnology and sperm cryopreservation
- Effects of climate and environmental stressors on sperm production, physiology, and function
- Semen exomes and sperm function