Abstract

The main purpose of preservation of drone sperm is to use such sperm for instrumental insemination of queen bees, which will reproduce many worker bees, as well as queens, do after natural mating. Preservation of honey bee drone sperm can occur through cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen and at temperatures above freezing. The use of antibiotic and antioxidant can reduce or prevent the microbial contamination of drone sperm during long-term storage at temperatures above freezing. The purpose of this study was to compare the viability, motility and fertility of undiluted sperm stored at a temperature of 3°C without antibiotics and antioxidants for a year or more. Undiluted semen was stored in sealed capillary tubes for 365 and 425 days. The survival of spermatozoa was assessed by total motility and by staining with 1% eosin. Preserved drone sperm after long-term storage in cooled form has an average viability of 53.7% (47.9–78%) and a total sperm motility of 14.1% (0–30%) on average. Virgin queen bees artificially inseminated with stored sperm laid fertile eggs. However, some of these fertile eggs hatched drone larvae. We found drone pupae that were located in worker cages with capped worker. The hypothesis is proposed that long-term storage at a temperature above freezing (3°C) can produce functional changes in drone spermatozoa. Some possible effects of these functional changes in spermatozoa may be hatched diploid drones.

中文翻译：

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长期冷却（一年或更长时间）蜜蜂无人机的精子

摘要

保存雄蜂精子的主要目的是使用此类精子为蜂王进行仪器授精，从而在自然交配后繁殖出许多工蜂以及蜂王。蜜蜂雄蜂精子的保存可以通过在液氮中和冰点以上的温度下冷冻保存来进行。使用抗生素和抗氧化剂可以减少或防止雄蜂精子在冰点以上的温度下长期储存期间的微生物污染。本研究的目的是比较未稀释精子在 3°C 温度下保存一年或更长时间（不含抗生素和抗氧化剂）的活力、活力和生育力。未稀释的精液在密封毛细管中保存365天和425天。通过总活力和 1% 伊红染色来评估精子的存活率。长期冷藏后保存的雄蜂精子的平均存活率为 53.7% (47.9–78%)，总精子活力平均为 14.1% (0–30%)。处女蜂王用储存的精子进行人工授精，产下受精卵。然而，其中一些受精卵孵化出雄蜂幼虫。我们发现雄蜂蛹位于工蜂笼中，工蜂被戴上帽子。有人提出假设，在冰点以上（3°C）的温度下长期储存可以使雄蜂精子产生功能变化。精子中这些功能变化的一些可能影响可能会孵化出二倍体雄蜂。