HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lenz, R. W. Articles by Ax, R. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lenz, R. W. Articles by Ax, R. L.

Predicting Fertility of Dairy Bulls by Inducing Acrosome Reactions in Sperm with Chondroitin Sulfates

Sire Power, Inc., R. D. #2, Tunkhannock, PA 18657

M. E. Bellin and R. L. Ax

Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin, 1675 Observatory Drive, Madison 53706

ABSTRACT

Bull spermatozoa were incubated with 0 or 50 µg/ml chondroitin sulfates to induce acrosome reactions in vitro. Data were computed as percent increase in acrosome reactions elicited by chondroitin sulfates compared with control samples for each replicate. Data from 8 bulls with known nonreturn rates served as basis to predict nonreturn rates of 18 bulls entering an AI lineup. The average assay CV was 16.1% for all 26 bulls. Correlation coefficients of polynomial regression lines computed between actual nonreturn rates and percent increases in acrosome reactions in response to chondroitin sulfates were .98 and .81 for the 8 reference bulls and combined data of all 26 bulls, respectively. It is concluded that a laboratory assay using chondroitin sulfates to induce acrosome reactions in sperm can be used to predict relative fertility of bulls.