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Melatonin membrane receptors MT1 and MT2 are expressed in ram spermatozoa from non-seasonal breeds

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Abstract

In mammals, many melatonin biological functions are mediated through its interaction with the membrane receptors MT1 and MT2. We have previously reported their presence in ram spermatozoa from males located in temperate climates, but there is no information on their presence in spermatozoa from rams in areas with an equatorial photoperiod (12L:12D). Thus, we have investigated the existence and cellular distribution of melatonin receptors in spermatozoa from three sheep breeds in Colombia (Colombian Creole, Hampshire, and Romney Marsh) during dry and rainy seasons, using indirect immunofluorescence and western blot. Our results indicated the presence of melatonin receptors in spermatozoa from these rams, and that their distribution differs from that previously found in spermatozoa from rams in temperate climates. Moreover, two new immunotypes of MT2 were identified: type N, with staining only in the neck, and type E with a band of immunofluorescence in the upper part of the post-acrosome and the apical edge. Likewise, differences between breeds and climate seasons were detected for both receptors. However, densitometry analysis of western blot bands only revealed differences between seasons in the Creole rams for MT1 and the Romney Marsh rams for MT2, whereas differences between breeds were only detected for MT2. It could be inferred that melatonin receptors in rams subjected to an equatorial photoperiod might be more closely related to sperm quality than seasonal control. Therefore, the presence of these receptors suggests that melatonin could be a useful tool to increase the fertility of rams located in tropical or equatorial climates.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by CICYT-FEDER AGL 2014-57863-R, DGA A07_17R (Spain) and the 110 157 635 854 Project, funded by Colciencias in the call Col576 2012 (Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia). The authors thank the Corporación Colombiana de Investigacion Agropecuaria “Agrosavia” for their assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departmento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

    Melissa Carvajal-Serna & Henry Grajales-Lombana

  2. Grupo BIOFITER, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Veterinaria, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales de Aragón (IUCA), Universidad de Zaragoza, C/ Miguel Servet, 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain

    Melissa Carvajal-Serna, José Álvaro Cebrián-Pérez, Teresa Muiño-Blanco, Rosaura Pérez-Pé & Adriana Casao

  3. Centro de Investigación –TIBAITATÁ, Corporación colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria-AGROSAVIA, Mosquera, Colombia

    Eliana Neira-Rivera & Jaime Antonio Cardozo

Authors
  1. Melissa Carvajal-Serna
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  2. Eliana Neira-Rivera
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  3. Jaime Antonio Cardozo
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  4. Henry Grajales-Lombana
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  6. Teresa Muiño-Blanco
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  7. Rosaura Pérez-Pé
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  8. Adriana Casao
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Contributions

R.P-P, J.A.C., H.G-L., J.A.C-P., and A.C. conceived and designed the experiments; M.C-S. and E.N-R. performed the experiments; A.C., R.P-P., and M.C-S. analyzed the data and A.C., M.C-S., and T.M-B. wrote and corrected the paper. All authors have approved the final article.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adriana Casao.

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Statement on the welfare of animals

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. Methodologies for semen collection were approved by the Bioethics Committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Bogotá Headquarters, National University of Colombia (CB-074-2014).

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Carvajal-Serna, M., Neira-Rivera, E., Cardozo, J.A. et al. Melatonin membrane receptors MT1 and MT2 are expressed in ram spermatozoa from non-seasonal breeds. Trop Anim Health Prod 52, 2549–2557 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-020-02289-4

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