Porcine sperm zona binding ability as an indicator of fertility.

ABSTRACT: The escalated use of artificial insemination in swine has increased the importance of determining fertility of a semen sample before it is used. Multiple laboratory assays have been developed to assess fertilizing potential but they have yielded inconsistent results. This experiment sought to determine the relationship between in vitro competitive zona binding ability and in vivo fertility based on heterospermic inseminations and paternity testing. The zona pellucida binding ability and fertility of sperm from 15 boars was assessed by comparing sperm from one boar with sperm from other individual boars in a pairwise fashion using four ejaculates. The relationship of zona binding ability to the mean number of piglets sired per litter for each boar as well as historic fertility data (litter

SUBMITTER: Collins ED 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2243185 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature