Submitted August 6, 2006
Returned for revision August 23, 2006
Accepted October 24, 2006
Minireview
Sex-Sorted Sperm and Fertility: An Alternative View
Valerie J. Grant *
and
Lawrence W. Chamley
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: vj.grant{at}auckland.ac.nz.
Abstract
Although contemporary methods of physically separating X-
from Y-chromosomebearing spermatozoa are now very
efficient, overall fertility rates following the use of
sex-sorted sperm are not as impressive, in spite of many
attempts to improve them. At the same time, there are
suggestions from evolutionary biology, and from sex
allocation theory in particular, that there may need to be
a modification to the "chance" theory of sex determination
in mammals. This is because it now appears the mammalian
female could have some influence on the sex of her
offspring, and furthermore, that this influence could be
pre-conceptual. If so, this could go some way towards
accounting for the putative inefficiencies in
fertilisation following insemination with sex-sorted sperm.
Key words:
Gamete Biology •
Assisted Reproductive Technology •
Fertilization •
Sperm
