SEX SELECTION IN EMBRYO TRANSFER

IT IS PROPOSED TO DEVISE SEROLOGICAL METHODS FOR ROUTINE IDENTIFICATION OF MALE AND FEMALE BOVINE EMBRYOS, WITH A VIEW TO THE CONTROL OF SEX RATIO DURING COMMERCIAL EMBYRO TRANSFER. EMBRYOS WILL BE EXPOSED TO NEWLY DEVELOPED MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES DIRECTED AGAINST MALE-SPECIFIC H-Y ANTIGEN AND THEN TO GOAT ANTIMOUSE-IG BEARING THE FLUORESCENT DYE, FITC. THE EMBRYOS WILL BE SCORED FOR LABELING UNDER A FLUORESCENT MICROSCOPE. EARLY INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE METHOD IS EFFECTIVE AND ATRAUMATIC. IF THIS IS SUBSTANTIATED BY CYTOGENETIC ANALYSIS AND PREGNANCY TESTS, FURTHER WORK WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AKIT THAT CAN BE USED REGULARLY IN EMBRYO TRANSFER AND TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEMS THAT COMBINE SEXING AND CRYOPRESERVATION. IMPROVEMENT OF THE BOVINE GENE POOL IS LIMITED BY LOW REPRODUCTIVE RATES AND BY THE 6-YEAR INTERVAL BETWEEN GENERATIONS. THE MAJOR BENEFIT OF EMBRYO TRANSFER IS IN THE INCREASED REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY OF VALUABLE BREEDING STOCK. SEX SELECTION WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE EMBRYO-TRANSFER INDUSTRY BY INCREASING REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY STILL FURTHER: DAIRY FARMERS AND BREEDERS IN GENERAL MIGHT PREFER TO TRANSFER FEMAL EMBRYOS AND TO USE MALE EMBRYOS FOR RESEARCH, CRYOPRESERVATION, OR DIRECT IMPLANTATION FOR FATTENING.