BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that prolonged sperm storage adversely affects offspring through epigenetics, yet its broader effects on other molecular levels such as transcription and proteomics in progeny have been rarely explored. RESULTS: We employed comprehensive multi-omics approaches to uncover storage-induced epigenetic changes in sperm and their effects on embryonic development and offspring health. Sperm from common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was stored in vitro in artificial seminal plasma for 14 days, and the impacts of storage on functional properties of sperm and progeny development were investigated. We combined DNA methylome, transcriptomic and proteomic data to elucidate the potential mechanisms by which sperm storage influences progeny development. Prolonged in vitro storage significantly reduced sperm motility and fertilising ability which coincided with changes in the DNA methylation pattern. Integrated analyses of the offspring DNA methylome, comparative transcriptomics and cardiac performance measurements revealed storage-induced alterations of genes associated with nervous system development, myocardial morphogenesis and cellular responses to stimuli. Proteomic analyses showed that in addition to visual perception and nervous system function, pathways of the immunity system were also enriched. Results provide strong evidence of the epigenetic inheritance of the offspring's performances when short-term stored sperm was used for fertilisation. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term sperm storage induces heritable molecular and phenotypic changes in offspring, raising concerns over the potential intergenerational consequences of assisted reproductive practices in aquaculture and possibly other vertebrates.

• Klíčová slova
• Epigenetic inheritance, Epigenetics, Fish sperm, Offspring development, Sperm ageing,
• MeSH
• embryonální vývoj * MeSH
• epigeneze genetická MeSH
• kapři * genetika   fyziologie   embryologie   MeSH
• metylace DNA MeSH
• multiomika MeSH
• proteomika MeSH
• spermie * fyziologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• transkriptom MeSH
• uchování spermatu * škodlivé účinky   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Oxidative stress is a possible source of spermatozoa function deterioration. Seminal fluid (SF) protects spermatozoa against reactive oxygen species (ROS) attack during development in testes and transit through the reproductive tract. Spermatozoa curvilinear velocity and percent of motile cells as well as changes in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) content, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity, and uric acid concentration in SF were evaluated in sterlet sperm collected from testes 24 h after hormone induction of spermiation and from Wolffian ducts at 12, 24, 36, and 60 h after hormone injection (HI). While testicular spermatozoa motility was not initiated in activating medium, Wolffian duct sperm showed low motility at 12 h, significant increase at 24 and 36 h, and decrease at 60 h. Testicular SF was characterized by the highest level of TBARS and activity of studied enzymes compared with SF from Wolffian duct sperm at 24 h post-HI. In fluid from Wolffian duct sperm, a significant increase in TBARS content was shown at 36-60 h post-HI. In contrast to testicular SF, in SF from Wolffian duct sperm, this increase was not counterbalanced by changes in the studied variables of antioxidant system. This may be the source of the observed decrease in spermatozoa motility parameters 60 h post-HI. The results may confirm a dual role of ROS in fish sperm physiology. The data with respect to decrease in sturgeon spermatozoa motility parameters at 60 h post-HI should be taken into account in artificial sturgeon propagation.

• MeSH
• antioxidancia metabolismus   MeSH
• kyselina močová chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• látky reagující s kyselinou thiobarbiturovou chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• počet spermií MeSH
• ryby fyziologie   MeSH
• sperma metabolismus   MeSH
• spermie cytologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• Wolffovy vývody metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antioxidancia MeSH
• kyselina močová MeSH
• látky reagující s kyselinou thiobarbiturovou MeSH

BACKGROUND: Evolution of sturgeons and paddlefishes (order Acipenseriformes) is inherently connected with polyploidization events which resulted in differentiation of ploidy levels and chromosome numbers of present acipenseriform species. Moreover, allopolyploidization as well as autopolyploidization seems to be an ongoing process in these fishes and individuals with abnormal ploidy levels were occasionally observed within sturgeon populations. Here, we reported occurrence of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) male with abnormal ploidy level for this species, accessed its ploidy level and chromosome number and investigate its potential sterility or fertility in comparison with normal individuals of sterlet (A. ruthenus), Russian sturgeon (A. gueldenstaedtii) and Siberian sturgeon (A. baerii). RESULTS: Acipenser ruthenus possessed 120 chromosomes, exhibiting recent diploidy (2n), A. gueldenstaedtii and A. baerii had ~245 chromosomes representing recent tetraploidy (4n), and A. baerii male with abnormal ploidy level had ~ 368 chromosomes, indicating recent hexaploidy (6n). Genealogy assessed from the mtDNA control region did not reveal genome markers of other sturgeon species and this individual was supposed to originate from spontaneous 1.5 fold increment in number of chromosome sets with respect to the number most frequently found in nature for this species. Following hormone stimulation, the spontaneous hexaploid male produced normal sperm with ability for fertilization. Fertilization of A. baerii and A. gueldenstaedtii ova from normal 4n level females with sperm of the hexaploid male produced viable, non-malformed pentaploid (5n) progeny with a ploidy level intermediate to those of the parents. CONCLUSION: This study firstly described occurrence of hexaploid individual of A. baerii and confirmed its autopolyploid origin. In addition to that, the first detailed evidence about fertility of spontaneous hexaploid sturgeon was provided. If 1.5 fold increment in number of chromosome sets occurring in diploids, resulted triploids possess odd number of chromosome sets causing their sterility or subfertility due to interference of gametogenesis. In contrast, 1.5 fold increment in number of chromosome sets in naturally tetraploid A. baerii resulted in even number of chromosome sets and therefore in fertility of the hexaploid specimen under study.

• MeSH
• analýza spermatu MeSH
• chromozomy MeSH
• fertilita genetika   MeSH
• hybridizace genetická MeSH
• karyotypizace MeSH
• mikrosatelitní repetice MeSH
• polyploidie * MeSH
• ryby genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH