Storage Conditions of Sperm Samples and Gametic Characterization by Sperm Head Morphometry in Drones (Apis mellifera)
2025
Milagros Cristina Esteso, Adolfo Toledano-Díaz , Cristina Castaño, Mariano Higes, Raquel Martín-Hernández, Agustin López-Goya, Pilar De la Rúa, Belén Martínez-Madrid, Julián Santiago-Moreno | 0000-0001-5551-8120
The present study aimed to evaluate an optimal method to transport and store drone sperm samples, as well as to characterize drone spermatozoa through sperm head morphometry. A total of 291 mature drones were used. We performed three experiments. In a first experiment, sperm variables were assessed under different incubation conditions (5 ◦C, 15 ◦C, and 37 ◦C with 5% CO2). Results showed that sperm viability was optimally maintained at 15 ◦C (p < 0.05). In the second experiment, the supplementation of extender with catalase (200 UI) improved (p < 0.05) the sperm viability and motility during liquid storage at different incubation times. Finally, a morphometric analysis of sperm head was made: length 5.13 μm, width 0.85 μm, area 3.78 μm2, perimeter 15.01 μm, acrosome length 3.50 μm. The variability in sperm head morphometry was calculated by coefficients of variation (CV) within- and between-drones. The CV within-drone was higher than the CV between-drones for all morphometric parameters regardless of hive origin, indicating a high degree of sperm pleomorphism.
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