Flow sorting of X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa into two populations. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The only established difference on which to base the separation of X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa is chromosomal constitution. This difference is quantifiable both from chromosome morphology (karyotype) and from DNA content. Flow cytometric techniques were used to measure relative DNA content of the X and Y populations and to flow-sort spermatozoa from Chinchilla laniger. Epididymal spermatozoa were recovered in PBS, fixed in 80% ethanol, treated with papain and dithioerythritol, and stained for DNA with Hoechst 33342. Sperm nuclei were analyzed and sorted on an EPICS V flow cytometer/cell sorter, modified specifically for spermatozoa. Two clearly resolved peaks (coefficient of variation less than 1.5%) with approximately 7.5% difference in DNA content between X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa were evident. Sperm nuclei were sorted from a portion of the X and Y peaks at a rate of 55 nuclei/sec for each population. Purities of individual X and Y populations averaged 95% as determined by reanalysis of the sorted populations. Successful sorting of Chinchilla X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa into separate populations may aid in the identification of a biochemical marker that could be used to discriminate between the two sperm populations and lead to a practical procedure for sexing spermatozoa.

published proceedings

  • Gamete Res

altmetric score

  • 12

author list (cited authors)

  • Johnson, L. A., Flook, J. P., Look, M. V., & Pinkel, D.

citation count

  • 89

complete list of authors

  • Johnson, LA||Flook, JP||Look, MV||Pinkel, D

publication date

  • January 1987

publisher