Specific cytogenetic labeling of bovine spermatozoa bearing X or Y chromosomes using fluorescent <it>in situ </it>hybridization (FISH)

Abstract

Abstract X and Y specific probes were identified in order to apply the fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique to bovine spermatozoa. For Y chromosome detection, the BRY4a repetitive probe, covering three quarters of the chromosome, was used. For X chromosome detection, a goat Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) specific to the X chromosome of bovine and goats and giving a strong FISH signal was used. Each probe labeled roughly 45% of sperm cells. The hybridization method will be useful for evaluating the ratio of X- and Y- bearing spermatozoa in a sperm sample and consequently can be used to evaluate the efficiency of sperm sorting by different techniques such as flow cytometry.

Keywords

• fluorescent <it>in situ </it>hybridization
• spermatozoon
• X chromosome
• Y chromosome
• bacterial artificial chromosome