DEVELOPMENT OF NORMAL OFFSPRING FROM OOCYTES INJECTED WITH FREEZE-DRIED SPERMATOZOA

摘要

The invention provides a method for freeze-drying spermatozoa to obtain at least one reconstituted spermatozoon whose head (nucleus) is capable of fertilizing an oocyte to produce a live offspring. The motility of spermatozoa which have been freeze-dried and stored in a vacuum at room temperature is not restored when rehydrated. Their plasma membranes are disrupted and they are all 'dead' in the conventional sense. However, when they are injected microsurgically into oocytes, their nuclei transform into male pronuclei and participate in normal embryonic development.