Browsing by Author "Nicodemus M.C."

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Advancing Semen Evaluation Using Lipidomics
(2021-04-16) Evans H.C.; Dinh T.T.N.; Hardcastle M.L.; Gilmore A.A.; Ugur M.R.; Hitit M.; Jousan F.D.; Nicodemus M.C.; Memili E.
Developing a deeper understanding of biological components of sperm is essential to improving cryopreservation techniques and reproductive technologies. To fully ascertain the functional determinants of fertility, lipidomic methods have come to the forefront. Lipidomics is the study of the lipid profile (lipidome) within a cell, tissue, or organism and provides a quantitative analysis of the lipid content in that sample. Sperm cells are composed of various lipids, each with their unique contribution to the overall function of the cell. Lipidomics has already been used to find new and exciting information regarding the fatty acid content of sperm cells from different species. While the applications of lipidomics are rapidly evolving, gaps in the knowledge base remain unresolved. Current limitations of lipidomics studies include the number of available samples to analyze and the total amount of cells within those samples needed to detect changes in the lipid profiles across different subjects. The information obtained through lipidomics research is essential to systems and cellular biology. This review provides a concise analysis of the most recent developments in lipidomic research. This scientific resource is important because these developments can be used to not only combat the reproductive challenges faced when using cryopreserved semen and artificial reproductive technologies in livestock such as cattle, but also other mammals, such as humans or endangered species.
Lipidomic markers of sperm cryotolerance in cattle
(2020-12-01) Evans H.C.; Dinh T.T.N.; Ugur M.R.; Hitit M.; Sajeev D.; Kaya A.; Topper E.; Nicodemus M.C.; Smith G.D.; Memili E.
The objective of the current study was to determine the fatty acid composition of sperm from Holstein bulls with different freezability (Good and Poor; n = 12). Fatty acids were extracted from frozen sperm in 1:2 (v/v) chloroform–methanol solvent, fractionated into neutral and polar fractions, and composition determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Thirty-four fatty acids were quantified and their concentrations and percentages within each lipid fraction were calculated. Overall, saturated fatty acids (SFA) were predominant, accounting for 71 to 80% of fatty acids in neutral and polar lipid factions. There were marked differences in fatty acid composition between the lipid fractions (P < 0.001). The branched chain fatty acid (BCFA) concentration (15 to 18 µg) was almost twice as much as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) concentration found in the polar lipid fraction (8 to 9 µg; P < 0.001). Sperm with different freezability phenotypes only had a few differences in 22:0, 18:1 cis 9, and 14:0 13-methyl fatty acids (P ≤ 0.011). These results are significant because they reveal key understandings of fatty acid composition of sperm membrane and lay a foundation for the manipulation of membrane integrity, fluidity, and stability to advance the assisted reproductive technologies.