The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fresh (YHF) and powder (YHP) egg yolk on the motility, viability, functional integrity of the plasma membrane (HOST) and pregnancy rate after insemination using fresh and chilled semen. Thirty ejaculates of five alpacas were collected by the post-copulation method during the months of January to March. Ejaculates were diluted in Tris-glucose plus glycerol to a final concentration of 5%, and the two types of egg yolk were added at a final concentration of 20%. Diluted semen was separated into aliquots and maintained at 15 °C for 8 h and 5 °C for 24 h, where 180 alpacas were inseminated. Motility, viability and sperm HOST value stored at 15 and 5 °C were not affected by the type of egg yolk. Similarly, pregnancy rates were rather similar when inseminated with fresh semen (50.0 and 46.7%), or kept at 15 °C (43.3 and 40%) or 5 °C (33.3...

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la yema de huevo fresca (YHF) y en polvo (YHP) sobre la motilidad, viabilidad, integridad funcional de la membrana plasmática (HOST) y tasa de preñez con semen fresco y refrigerado. Se colectaron 30 eyaculados de cinco alpacas mediante el método poscópula en los meses de enero a marzo. Los eyaculados fueron diluidos en Tris-glucosa y glicerol a una concentración final de 5%, y usando los dos tipos de yema de huevo a una concentración final de 20%. El semen diluido se separó en alícuotas y se mantuvo a 15 ºC por 8 h y a 5 ºC por 24 h, y se inseminaron 180 alpacas. El tipo de yema no afectó la motilidad,  viabilidad y el valor HOST en los espermatozoides conservados a 15 y 5 ºC. De igual manera, los porcentajes de preñez no variaron cuando se inseminaron con semen fresco (50.0 y 46.7%), mantenido a 15 ºC (43.3 y 40%) o refrige...

One of the genes involved in hair fibre and hair follicle growth is the fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5). Mutation of this gene has been associated with long-haired phenotypes in several animal species, including llamas and alpacas. Blood samples were taken from 16 alpacas (9 Huacaya and 7 Suri), 6 llamas (4 Q'aras and 2 Chak'us), one vicuña and one guanaco. The polymorphisms related to fibre growth were analysed from a whole-genome sequence. The c.499≥T mutation was found to be present in both Huacaya and Suri alpaca breeds encoding a shorty protein of 166 amino acids. A one nucleotide deletion, c.351delC and a 12-nucleotide insertion (c.348_349insGCCATATAACAT) were present only in Chak’u breed llamas. This insertion encodes for a short, 119 amino acid protein, that affects the FGF5 gene and that would cause the growth of long fibres. In the case of mutation of c.499C>T, which ...