In vitro production of desired sex ovine embryos modulating polarity of oocytes for sex-specific sperm binding during fertilization

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 5845
• Main Authors: G., Ramesh Kumar, Mishra, Ashish, Dhali, Arindam, Reddy, Ippala Janardhan, Dey, Debpriyo Kumar, Pal, Dintaran, Bhatta, Raghavendra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 07.04.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/136/1455; 631/61/17; Animals; Carnitine; Culture Media; Embryos; Female; Fertilization; Fertilization in Vitro; Humanities and Social Sciences; Intracellular; Male; Males; multidisciplinary; Oocytes; Oxidative stress; Polarity; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sex; Sheep; Sheep, Domestic; Sperm; Spermatozoa; Supplements
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09895-2

The present study aimed to modulate the oxidative status-mediated polarity of the oocytes for sex-specific sperm fertilization to generate desired sex embryos. In vitro embryos were produced at different oxidative status, varying O 2 concentrations, and without/with l -carnitine in maturation and culture media. The majority of the embryos produced at high oxidative stress were males whereas; low oxidative status favoured female embryos production. Low O 2 doubled the proportion of female embryos (10.59 vs 21.95%); however, l -carnitine supplementation in media increased approximately seven-folds of the female embryos (12.26 vs. 77.62%) production. Oocytes matured at high oxidative status were in the repolarized state favouring positively charged Y sperm fertilization to produce significantly more male embryos. Low oxidative status favoured negatively charged X sperm fertilization to the oocytes in the depolarized state to produce more female embryos. Intracellular ROS was significantly low in female embryos than in males; however, female embryos were more stressful than males . The study concluded that the oxidative status-mediated alteration in pH of the medium to modulate the intracellular positive ions is the main critical factor to influence the sex of embryos through sex-specific sperms fertilization to the oocytes as per their polarity.