Vet World Vol.18 January-2025 Article - 14
Research Article
Veterinary World, 18(1): 122-132
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.122-132
Seminal plasma protein profiles based on molecular weight as biomarkers of sperm fertility in horned and polled Bali bulls
2. Animal Science Study Program, Faculty of Animal Science, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia.
3. Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Animal Science, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia.
Background and Aim: Seminal plasma proteins (SPPs) significantly influence sperm quality, playing a critical role in fertility. This study aims to investigate the molecular weight (MW) profiles of SPPs in horned and polled Bali bulls and their correlation with sperm quality parameters.
Materials and Methods: Semen samples were collected from six Bali bulls (3 horned, 3 polled). Sperm quality was evaluated based on motility, viability, abnormalities, intact membranes, and acrosomes. SPPs were extracted and analyzed using one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to determine protein MWs. Pearson’s correlation was used to analyze relationships between MW profiles and sperm quality metrics.
Results: SPPs were identified across a MW range of 15–165 kDa, with specific proteins showing strong correlations with sperm quality. Proteins at 50 and 46 kDa positively correlated with motility (r = –0.96), viability (r = –0.99), and intact membranes (r = –0.86). Conversely, proteins at 40 kDa negatively correlated with these parameters. A 25 kDa protein displayed a positive correlation with intact acrosomes (r = –0.93) and a negative correlation with abnormalities (r = –0.99). Differences in sperm quality metrics between horned and polled bulls were observed, with polled bulls exhibiting fewer abnormalities.
Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of SPP MW profiles as biomarkers of sperm quality in Bali bulls. Proteins at 50, 46, and 25 kDa are promising markers for sperm motility, viability, and intact acrosomes, respectively. These findings could inform bull selection and reproductive management strategies. Further research is recommended to validate these biomarkers using advanced proteomic approaches.
Keywords: Bali bulls, molecular weight, seminal plasma proteins, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, sperm fertility.
How to cite this article: Mappanganro R, Sonjaya H, Baco S, Hasbi H, and Gustina S (2025) Seminal plasma protein profiles based on molecular weight as biomarkers of sperm fertility in horned and polled Bali bulls, Veterinary World, 18(1): 122-132.
Received: 2024-10-09 Accepted: 2024-12-16 Published online: 2025-01-22
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.122-132
Copyright: Mappanganro, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
