The future of assessing bull fertility: Can the 'omics fields identify usable biomarkers?†.

ABSTRACT: Breeding soundness examinations for bulls rely heavily on the subjective, visual assessment of sperm motility and morphology. Although these criteria have the potential to identify infertile males, they cannot be used to guarantee fertility or provide information about varying degrees of bull fertility. Male factor fertility is complex, and the success of the male gamete is not necessarily realized until well after the spermatozoon enters the oocyte. This paper reviews our existing knowledge of the bull's contribution from a standpoint of the sperm's cargo and the impact that this can have on fertilization and the development of the embryo. There has been a plethora of recent research characterizing the many molecular attributes that can affect the functional competence of a spermatozoon.

SUBMITTER: Klein EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9113469 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature