Differential metabolites screening in yak (Bos grunniens) seminal plasma after cryopreservation and the evaluation of the effect of galactose on post-thaw sperm motility

Sperm survival and activity depend on the provision of energy and nutrients from seminal plasma (SP). This study aimed to investigate the variations of metabolites within SP before and after freezing and subsequently explore the potential regulatory mechanisms affecting yak sperm cryodamage due to changes in metabolites in the SP. Untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed to screen for differential metabolites, followed by KEGG analysis to identify enriched signaling pathways. The combinatorial analysis of metabolomics and sperm proteomics revealed the influence of key SP metabolites on sperm proteins. Subsequently, the relevant differentially expressed proteins were verified by western blot analysis. Finally, the mechanism underlying the positive effect of galactose on sperm motility was determined by assessing the change in ATP content in sperm before and after freezing and thawing. The data showed that a total of 425 and 269 metabolites were identified in the positive and negative ion modes, respectively. Freezing and thawing resulted in the up-regulation of 70 metabolites and the down-regulation of 29 metabolites in SP. The primary impact of freezing and thawing was observed in carbohydrate metabolism, including pyruvate metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, galactose metabolism, the TCA cycle, and butanoate metabolism. In the combined analysis and western blot results, a significant positive correlation was observed between galactose and Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B1 (AKR1B1) (P < 0.05), which has the ability to convert galactose into galactol. Furthermore, the addition of galactose to thawed semen improved sperm motility by increasing AKR1B1 protein in sperm and was associated with the content of ATP. These data identify differential metabolites between fresh and frozen-thawed SP and suggest that galactose is a valuable additive for cryopreserved sperm, providing a theoretical basis for further exploration of the refrigerant formula for yak sperm cryopreservation.