The Activity of Six Enzymes of Chicken Seminal Plasma and Sperm

WHILE the difficulty in maintaining the fertilizing capacity of chicken sperm in vitro is well documented, little work has been done to determine effects of in vitro storage on seminal plasma and sperm enzymes or the genetic influence on storability of semen. The activities of a number of enzymes in seminal plasma (Wilcox, 1961; Bell and Lake, 1962; Hammond et al., 1965) and sperm (Buckland et al., 1969; Buckland, 1970a) have been studied. The effect of incubating sperm in different parts of the oviduct in vitro and in situ on their enzyme activity has been reported by Buckland (1970b), who also reported that in vitro incubation at 41°C. reduced the enzyme activity of sperm. Wilcox et al. (1961) reported differences between breeds on the in vitro storability of their semen. Pursel et al. (1968) reported that coldshocking and freezing boar semen resulted in an increase in glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and…