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Separation of Progressive Motile Sperm from Mouse Semen Using On-chip Chemotaxis

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Abstract

We present a novel method for the separation of progressive motile sperm from non-progressive motile and immotile sperm. This separation was accomplished by inducing chemotaxis along a longitudinal chemical gradient in a microchip composed of a biocompatible polydimethysiloxane layer and a glass substrate. In a preliminary experiment using fluorescent rhodamine B as a marker, we verified that a chemical gradient was generated by diffusion within the microchannel. We used acetylcholine as a chemoattractant to evaluate the chemotactic response of sperm. We tested the response to a 1/2 to 1/64 dilution series of acetylcholine. The results of a mouse sperm chemotaxis assay showed that progressive motile sperm swam predominantly toward the outlet at an optimal chemical gradient of 0.625 (mg/ml)/mm of acetylcholine. This device provides a convenient, disposable, and high-throughput platform that could function as a progressive motile sperm sorter for potential use in intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

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Author notes

  1. Y.-J. K. and J.-H. M. contributed equally.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, 133-791, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Korea

    Yong-Jun Ko & Seungwoo Lee

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School, Hanyang University, 55 Hanyangdaehak-ro, 426-791, Sangnok-gu, Ansan Kyeonggi-do, Korea

    Joon-Ho Maeng & Byung-Chul Lee

  3. Division of Molecular and Life Science, Hanyang University and GenoCheck Co. Ltd., 55 Hanyangdaehak-ro, 426-791, Sangnok-gu, Ansan Kyeonggi-do, Korea

    Seung Yong Hwang

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, 55 Hanyangdaehak-ro, 426-791, Sangnok-gu, Ansan Kyeonggi-do, Korea

    Yoomin Ahn

Authors
  1. Yong-Jun Ko
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  2. Joon-Ho Maeng
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  3. Byung-Chul Lee
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  4. Seungwoo Lee
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  5. Seung Yong Hwang
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  6. Yoomin Ahn
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Seung Yong Hwang or Yoomin Ahn.

Additional information

Y.-J. K., J.-H. M., and B.-C. L. are now working at LG Innoteck, KIST, and Pharmatech. Inc., respectively.

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Ko, YJ., Maeng, JH., Lee, BC. et al. Separation of Progressive Motile Sperm from Mouse Semen Using On-chip Chemotaxis. ANAL. SCI. 28, 27–32 (2012). https://doi.org/10.2116/analsci.28.27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2116/analsci.28.27

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