Lipidomics and transcriptomics analyses reveal high sperm storage ability-related lipids/genes in the liver-blood-utero-vaginal junction mucosa axis of female ducks.

The sperm storage trait of female poultry refers to their ability to store sperm in the oviduct, thereby enabling them to continuously produce fertilized eggs. The analysis of the underlying principles of this ability not only helps to improve reproductive efficiency, but also contributes to driving innovation in semen preservation technologies. However, the underlying mechanisms of this ability remain unclear. This study successfully quantified the sperm storage ability in 98 female ducks. Histological comparisons between female ducks with higher sperm storage ability (HFSS) and lower sperm storage ability (LFSS) revealed that superior sperm storage ability was associated with a higher weight, index, and lipid content in the liver, but with a lower lipid content in the utero-vaginal junction (UVJ). A further integrated analysis of lipidomics and transcriptomics of the liver-serum-UVJ mucosa (UVJM) axis revealed that hepatic lipid metabolism plays a key role in regulating sperm storage ability. This regulation likely occurs through the downregulation of insulin induced gene 1 (INSIG1), glucan phosphatase laforin (EPM2A), transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily A member 1 (TRPA1), and disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 2 (LOC101791193) in the liver, which inhibits the release of PG(O-46:0(OH)) from the liver into the blood and reduces its concentration in the UVJM. Consequently, in the UVJM, the expression of signal transducing adaptor family member 1 (STAP1) and noggin 2 (LOC113845281) was promoted, while that of class II histocompatibility antigen (LOC119718708) was suppressed. These changes may ultimately enhance sperm storage ability by mitigating immune rejection and facilitating sperm survival.