Monosodium glutamate enhances freeze-dried mouse sperm quality during room-temperature storage

Abstract Although freeze-dried (FD) sperm can be stored at room temperature, making it cheaper and safer to store and transport, freeze-drying can damage the sperm’s DNA, which can decrease the birth rate compared to frozen sperm. In this study, we examined whether adding monosodium glutamate (MSG),...

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Main Authors: Natsuki Ushigome, Meina Miyashita, Daiyu Ito, Sayaka Wakayama, Teruhiko Wakayama
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16635-9
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author Natsuki Ushigome
Meina Miyashita
Daiyu Ito
Sayaka Wakayama
Teruhiko Wakayama
author_facet Natsuki Ushigome
Meina Miyashita
Daiyu Ito
Sayaka Wakayama
Teruhiko Wakayama
author_sort Natsuki Ushigome
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Although freeze-dried (FD) sperm can be stored at room temperature, making it cheaper and safer to store and transport, freeze-drying can damage the sperm’s DNA, which can decrease the birth rate compared to frozen sperm. In this study, we examined whether adding monosodium glutamate (MSG), a compound used to dry and preserve yeast, to the drying medium could improve the quality of mouse FD sperm. FD sperm stored using MSG showed lower morphological and DNA damage, and the birth rate of embryos fertilized using those sperm improved to a similar level (50%) to that obtained with frozen-thawed sperm. The offspring showed normal growth and reproductive performance. Similar results were obtained for embryos derived from other mouse strains, even using FD sperm stored for 3 months at room temperature. These results suggest that MSG can protect not only microorganisms but also the DNA of mammalian FD sperm and improve the birth rate to a practical level. This method is not only inexpensive and safer than cryopreservation using liquid nitrogen but has expansion potential to maintain a large number of genetically modified mouse strains.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2045-2322
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publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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series Scientific Reports
spelling doaj-art-d2474e2abc1e4a599149bedd2f5926962025-08-24T11:28:01ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-16635-9Monosodium glutamate enhances freeze-dried mouse sperm quality during room-temperature storageNatsuki Ushigome0Meina Miyashita1Daiyu Ito2Sayaka Wakayama3Teruhiko Wakayama4Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, University of YamanashiFaculty of Life and Environmental Science, University of YamanashiFaculty of Life and Environmental Science, University of YamanashiAdvanced Biotechnology Center, University of YamanashiAdvanced Biotechnology Center, University of YamanashiAbstract Although freeze-dried (FD) sperm can be stored at room temperature, making it cheaper and safer to store and transport, freeze-drying can damage the sperm’s DNA, which can decrease the birth rate compared to frozen sperm. In this study, we examined whether adding monosodium glutamate (MSG), a compound used to dry and preserve yeast, to the drying medium could improve the quality of mouse FD sperm. FD sperm stored using MSG showed lower morphological and DNA damage, and the birth rate of embryos fertilized using those sperm improved to a similar level (50%) to that obtained with frozen-thawed sperm. The offspring showed normal growth and reproductive performance. Similar results were obtained for embryos derived from other mouse strains, even using FD sperm stored for 3 months at room temperature. These results suggest that MSG can protect not only microorganisms but also the DNA of mammalian FD sperm and improve the birth rate to a practical level. This method is not only inexpensive and safer than cryopreservation using liquid nitrogen but has expansion potential to maintain a large number of genetically modified mouse strains.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16635-9Monosodium glutamateFreeze-drySpermatozoaPreservationRoom temperature
spellingShingle Natsuki Ushigome
Meina Miyashita
Daiyu Ito
Sayaka Wakayama
Teruhiko Wakayama
Monosodium glutamate enhances freeze-dried mouse sperm quality during room-temperature storage
Scientific Reports
Monosodium glutamate
Freeze-dry
Spermatozoa
Preservation
Room temperature
title Monosodium glutamate enhances freeze-dried mouse sperm quality during room-temperature storage
title_full Monosodium glutamate enhances freeze-dried mouse sperm quality during room-temperature storage
title_fullStr Monosodium glutamate enhances freeze-dried mouse sperm quality during room-temperature storage
title_full_unstemmed Monosodium glutamate enhances freeze-dried mouse sperm quality during room-temperature storage
title_short Monosodium glutamate enhances freeze-dried mouse sperm quality during room-temperature storage
title_sort monosodium glutamate enhances freeze dried mouse sperm quality during room temperature storage
topic Monosodium glutamate
Freeze-dry
Spermatozoa
Preservation
Room temperature
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-16635-9
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AT sayakawakayama monosodiumglutamateenhancesfreezedriedmousespermqualityduringroomtemperaturestorage
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