WISENT SPERM CRYOBANK AS AN INSTRUMENT IN PROVIDING SPECIES GENETIC DIVERSITY CONSERVATION

Sperm was taken from one alive (by electrojaculation) and two dead (fr om epididymis tissue) wisent males, and was conserved by the method si milar to that used to freeze sperm from cattle. Spermatozoon mobility and acrosome, conditions underwent no noticeable changes when kept und er preservation. Eight cows were fertilized with the sperm which had b een kept in liquid nitrogen for three years, Four of them had hybrid c alves. We also made genetic analysis for bull-donors: on blood groups, isoenzyme systems and the protein systems and the protein of blood se rum and muscle tissue. The analysis revealed the rare antigene H' in o ne of the bulls and polymorphism in two isoenzyme systems in the other one. The results of the analysis proved that these animals can make v aluable contribution to the developing genetic cryobank.