SPERM SORTING - A COMPHRAHENSIVE REVIEW

ABSTRACT

The sex of mammalian offspring can be predetermined by flow sorting relatively pure living populations of X and Y-chromosome bearing sperm. This method is based on precise staining of DNA of sperm with the nucliecacid specific fluorospore, Hoechst 33342, to differentiate between the subpopulations of X and Y sperm. The fluoroscently stained sperm are then sex sorted using a specialised high speed sorter, MoFlo SX XDP, and collected into biologically supportive media prior to reconcentration and cryopreservation in numbers adequate for use with artificial insemination for some species or for invitro fertilization. Sperm sorting can provide subpopulations of X- or Y-bearing bovine sperm at rates in the 8000 sperms/s range while maintaining; a purity of 90% such that it has been applied to cattle on a commercial basis. The sex of offspring has predetermined in a wode variety of mammalian species including cattle, swine, horses, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, deer, elk, dolphins, water buffalo as well as in humans using flow cytometric sorting of X- and Y- sperm.

KEYWORDS: Sperm, Sorting, Flow Cytometer, Sex linked diseases.