FB-sp Polypeptide Stabilizer for Sperm Membrane Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sperm diluents and extenders fail to effectively preserve sperm viability and fertilizing potential for extended periods, especially during long-distance transport and storage, leading to reduced fertilization rates and economic losses in livestock breeding due to oxidative stress and osmotic shock, which is costly and impractical for intensive farming.
Innovation Solution
A low-cost polypeptide molecule, FB-sp, with a 10-amino acid sequence (Arg-Pro-Gly-Leu-Pro-Val-Phe-Ser-Pro-Leu), is added to sperm diluents to stabilize sperm membranes, maintaining viability, metabolism, and fertilizing potential without interfering with sperm physiology, even at cryogenic temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sperm diluents and extenders are used for long-term preservation, then sperm viability is partially maintained, but oxidative stress and osmotic shock damage sperm membranes and reduce fertilizing potential
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces FB-sp, a polypeptide with 10 amino acids, as an intermediary substance that mediates between the sperm cells and the extender medium. This polypeptide acts as a protective intermediary that reduces oxidative stress and osmotic shock effects on sperm membranes, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining sperm viability during long-term preservation and preventing harmful oxidative damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite preservation system by combining conventional extender components (nutrients, buffers, cryoprotectants) with the novel FB-sp polypeptide stabilizer. This composite formulation integrates multiple functional elements that work synergistically: the extender provides metabolic support while FB-sp provides membrane stabilization and antioxidant protection, thus resolving the contradiction between long-term viability maintenance and protection against oxidative stress.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If long-term diluents are used for distant transport, then sperm can be preserved for 3-5 days, but the cost increases and antibiotic overload is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a low-cost polypeptide formulation (FB-sp) that can be produced economically through recombinant DNA technology in bacterial systems. This affordable stabilizer enables long-term preservation (3-5 days) without requiring expensive antibiotics or complex formulations, thus resolving the contradiction between extended preservation duration and manufacturing cost/complexity.
3Quantity of substance
If sperm is diluted for transport, then volume is increased for distribution, but osmotic shock reduces spermatozoa reproductive efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the osmotic parameters of the extender medium by incorporating FB-sp polypeptide, which helps maintain osmotic balance during dilution. This parameter adjustment allows significant volume expansion of ejaculate for distribution while the polypeptide prevents osmotic shock damage to sperm membranes, thereby resolving the contradiction between increasing ejaculate volume and maintaining reproductive efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
FB-sp extends sperm viability beyond 65% after 7 days, outperforming commercial extenders, and supports biochemical potential for both short-term and long-term preservation, including cryopreservation, reducing oxidative stress and maintaining high fertilization rates.
Implementation Method 1
Xenobiotic factors are induced or produced during semen manipulation, such as thermal and biochemical changes that cause oxidative stress, which affect spermatozoa by damaging cell membranes
Implementation Method 2
they have not yet been able to solve the problem of short- and long-term spermatozoa preservation until their use in animal AI and, additionally, to maintain and preserve the germplasm, metabolic and biochemical capacity provided by male testicular seminal plasma, since they are affected by dilution (osmotic shock)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The proposed invention describes a polypeptide molecule having pharmacodynamic property, of short chain of 10 amino acids, low molecular weight, which acts as a spermatic stabiliser to be added to extensor media for mammal semen, for example porcine, caprine, bovine, wild boars, horses, canine, felines, or even humans, allowing to preserve and conserve the germplasm of their gametes under refrigerated condition at -180°C up to 17°C for 60 hours with 75% to 95% fertility, the time between the collection of the semen sample of the reproductive male ejaculate and the time in which it is finally used in artificial insemination can be 0, 24, 36 or 48 hrs.