Biochemical features of X or Y chromosome bearing spermatozoa for sperm sexing

Abstract

This review presents information on the biochemical features of spermatozoa bearing an X or Y chromosome, enabling to obtain a sperm fraction with a pre-defined sex chromosome. Almost the only technology currently used for such separation (called sexing) is based on sperm fluorescence-activated cell sorting in regard to DNA content. Besides its applications, this technology made it possible to analyze the properties of isolated populations of spermatozoa bearing an X or Y chromosome. In recent years, a number of works have appeared proving the existence of differences between these populations at the transcriptome and proteome level. It is noteworthy that these differences are primarily related to energy metabolism and structural proteins of the flagellum. New methods of sperm enrichment with X or Y chromosome cells are based on the differences in motility between spermatozoa with different sex chromosomes. Sperm sexing is a widespread part of the protocol of artificial insemination of cows with cryopreserved semen, it allows to increase the proportion of offspring of the required sex. In addition, advances in the separation of X and Y spermatozoa may allow this approach to be applied in clinical practice to avoid sex-linked diseases.