Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Amphibian conservation breeding programs often rely on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to produce offspring due to the difficulty of replicating natural reproductive cues under human care. Reproductive management using in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with cryopreserved sperm has been successfully applied to a variety of anurans, yet the approach has seen limited use for internally-fertilizing caudates. This study aimed to test two cryoprotectants, dimethyl formamide (DMFA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), in combination with three different sperm extenders, HAM's F-10, diluted HAM's F-10, and 10% Holtfreter's, for the production of salamander larvae from cryopreserved sperm. Fresh sperm was collected from tiger salamanders (n = 12) and diluted with one of three extenders, then subsequently mixed 1:1 with cryoprotectant. Samples were frozen using liquid nitrogen and later thawed to be applied in IVF. The diluted HAM's and DMFA treatment resulted in the highest (p < 0.05) fertilization rate, with over 40% of eggs cleaving. The DMFA treatments resulted in 87 hatched offspring, while DMSO treatments resulted in only one offspring. This research highlights the potential of biobanking to produce internally-fertilizing salamander larvae, with DMFA being the likely preferred sperm cryoprotectant. These findings can inform conservation breeding programs by increasing caudate population sustainability through genetic management, facilitated by ART.
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Devin M. Chen, Shaina S. Lampert, Li-Dunn Chen, Isabella J. Burger, Carrie K. Kouba, Peter J. Allen, Nucharin Songsasen, Terri L. Roth, Andrew J. Kouba
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W4410093189