ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Animal Reproduction - Theriogenology
This article is part of the Research TopicInnovative Strategies for Improving Sperm Lifespan during StorageView all 5 articles
Metabolic Disparities in Caput, Corpus, and Cauda Epididymis of Hu Sheep Revealed by LC-MS Untargeted Metabolomics: Implications for Sperm Maturation
Provisionally accepted
- 1College of Life Sciences and Engineering, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
- 2Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lanzhou, China
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The epididymis is a crucial organ for sperm maturation and storage, with metabolic microenvironmental differences across its functional segments (Caput, Corpus, Cauda) being pivotal to this process. However, the underlying metabolic regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely defined. This study systematically characterized region-specific metabolic profiles in the epididymis of Hu sheep and elucidated their functional associations with sperm maturation. Tissues from the caput, corpus, and cauda of the epididymis from eight Hu rams were subjected to untargeted metabolomic analysis using UHPLC-Q-Exactive HF-X. Differential metabolites were screened by combining multivariate statistical analysis (OPLS-DA, VIP >1) and univariate statistical analysis (student's t-test, p < 0.05), with key metabolic networks identified through KEGG pathway enrichment.We detected 3,393 metabolites, including 1,844 differentially abundant metabolites: 1,038 between the caput and corpus, 1,243 between the cauda and caput, and 1,159 between the cauda and corpus. KEGG analysis revealed significant enrichment in biosynthesis pathways, cAMP signaling, and protein digestion/absorption. Our findings demonstrate that compartmentalized metabolic reprogramming—particularly involving choline and L-carnitine—drives sperm maturation, providing critical targets for optimizing semen cryopreservation technologies in Hu sheep.
Keywords: Hu sheep, Epididymis, untargeted metabolomics, differential metabolites, Spermmaturation
Received: 05 Aug 2025; Accepted: 17 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 SHI, An, Zhu, Chen, Yue and Feng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yaojing Yue, yueyaojing@caas.cn
Yulan Feng, 284588351@qq.com
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