British researchers reported on the 16th in the new issue of "Nature" magazine, who first discovered the egg surface proteins to identify the sperm in animal experiments. This discovery will help to develop new methods of treatment of infertility and contraception.
Sperm and egg to combine into fertilized eggs, you first need to "identify" the other side, this task is mainly composed of sperm and egg surface located proteins to complete. 2005, Japanese researchers found that sperm surface protein used to identify the eggs, and married names shrine Izumo Japan will be named according to Izumo 1.
British Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute researchers first cultured in the laboratory out of Izumo 1 protein, and animal experiments to identify the egg surface with "pair" of proteins. They found a successful result with the Izumo 1 protein interactions, protein fertilization process starts, and the protection of God's name in Roman mythology Juno marriage in its name.
In order to determine the protein's function and role of Juneau, the researchers removed this protein in mice egg surface. Results in female rats after deletion of this protein, the egg can not be combined with functional sperm, loss of ability to conceive. Earlier studies have shown that sperm surface mice missing a cloud 1 protein and no fertility, indicating that the combination of these two proteins during the formation of the zygote is crucial.
The researchers also found that after the egg is fertilized in only 30-40 minutes or so, the Juneau protein surface will quickly disappear, thus losing the ability to recognize other sperm, which can prevent the egg and sperm combine multiple, and thus play protection role of the fertilized egg.
Who led the study Gavin Wright pointed out that this discovery solves a long-standing puzzle biologists confirmed that sperm and egg at "first contact" important interaction mechanism, a clear mechanism to help to improve infertility treatment, but also help to develop new means of contraception.
