TLR7/8 signalling affects X-sperm motility via the GSK3α/β-hexokinase pathway for the efficient production of sexed dairy goat embryos  

作　　者：Fa Ren Huaming Xi Yijie Ren Yu Li Fei Wen Ming Xian Mengjie Zhao Dawei Zhu Liqiang Wang Anmin Lei Jianhong Hu 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics,Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province,College of Animal Science and Technology,Northwest A&F University,No.22 Xinong Road,Yangling,Shaanxi 712100,People’s Republic of China [2]College of Veterinary Medicine,Northwest A&F University,Yangling 712100,Shaanxi,China

出　　处：《Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology》2022年第2期401-417,共17页畜牧与生物技术杂志（英文版）

基　　金：This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31672425);Shaanxi Province Key R&D Program(2018ZDXM-NY-043,2020ZDLNY02–04).

摘　　要：Background:Goat milk is very similar to human milk in terms of its abundant nutrients and ease of digestion.To derive greater economic benefit,farmers require more female offspring(does);however,the buck-to-doe offspring sex ratio is approximately 50%.At present,artificial insemination after the separation of X/Y sperm using flow cytometry is the primary means of controlling the sex of livestock offspring.However,flow cytometry has not been successfully utilised for the separation of X/Y sperm aimed at sexing control in dairy goats.Results:In this study,a novel,simple goat sperm sexing technology that activates the toll-like receptor 7/8(TLR7/8),thereby inhibiting X-sperm motility,was investigated.Our results showed that the TLR7/8 coding goat Xchromosome was expressed in approximately 50%of round spermatids in the testis and sperm,as measured from cross-sections of the epididymis and ejaculate,respectively.Importantly,TLR7/8 was located at the tail of the Xsperm.Upon TLR7/8 activation,phosphorylated forms of glycogen synthase kinaseα/β(GSK3α/β)and nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)were detected in the X-sperm,causing reduced mitochondrial activity,ATP levels,and sperm motility.High-motility Y-sperm segregated to the upper layer and the low-motility X-sperm,to the lower layer.Following in vitro fertilisation using the TLR7/8-activated sperm from the lower layer,80.52±6.75%of the embryos were XX females.The TLR7/8-activated sperm were subsequently used for in vivo embryo production via the superovulatory response;nine embryos were collected from the uterus of two does that conceived.Eight of these were XX embryos,and one was an XY embryo.Conclusions:Our study reveals a novel TLR7/8 signalling mechanism that affects X-sperm motility via the GSK3α/β-hexokinase pathway;this technique could be used to facilitate the efficient production of sexed dairy goat embryos.

关 键 词：Dairy goat Glycogen synthase kinaseα/β(GSK3α/β) Sexing control SPERM Toll-like receptor 7/8(TLR7/8) 

分 类 号：S827[农业科学—畜牧学]