PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsMolecular 'barcode' determines which sperm reaches the egg

BioNews

Molecular 'barcode' determines which sperm reaches the egg

Published 11 December 2020 posted in News and appears in BioNews 1076

Author

Emma Bunting

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.

Protein channels help determine the 'winning sperm' that rises above the other millions to reach the egg, new research has shown...

Protein channels help determine the 'winning sperm' that rises above the other millions to reach the egg, new research has shown.

Sperm tails are lined with protein channels containing pores that allow the entry of calcium, playfully dubbed by researchers as their 'racing stripes'. Researchers at Yale University used a novel 3D molecular imaging technique to visualise this protein within the reproductive tract of female mice after mating, showing which type of protein is essential for sperm to reach the egg.

The team pulished their findings in eLife, stating '[this research] could help identify new targets for contraception and improve current strategies for assisted reproduction'. 

The sperm channels are made up of four protein subunits, CatSper1 to CatSper4, which together ultimately control the motility and navigation of the sperm. They found that the sperm that made it to the oviduct all had intact CatSper1, whereas sperm with broken down CatSper1 were left behind. 

Since CatSper1 is necessary for functional sperm, blocking it may be an effective non-hormonal contraceptive with minimal side effects, claims Dr Jean-Ju Chung, assistant professor of cellular and molecular physiology at Yale School of Medicine and lead author on the study. Alternatively, since mutations have been found in CatSper genes of infertile men, they may become a target for fertility treatments. 

They also found these 'winning sperm' have already lost a cap-like structure called the acrosome in the sperm head, which is proposed to indicate the sperm preparing to fertilise the egg.

The team suggest this new imaging platform will allow scientists to learn more about the fertilisation process in a model more relevant to the true reproductive process than a Petri dish. They say future studies must address what happens once the CatSper1 protein is broken down, and how this impacts the movement and lifespan of sperm. 

Sources and References

  • 20/10/2020
    eLife
    3D in situ imaging of the female reproductive tract reveals molecular signatures of fertilising spermatozoa in mice
  • 01/12/2020
    Yale University
    How to spot winning sperm: Examine their racing stripes
  • 09/12/2020
    Front Line Genomics
    Molecular signature of fertilising sperm

Related Articles

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
12 February 2021 • 2 minutes read

Mail-in sperm testing as reliable as clinic tests

by Dr Eleanor Taylor

Semen samples can now be accurately analysed up to 52 hours after production using a new mail-in sperm testing kit...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
8 January 2021 • 2 minutes read

Mechanism identified to keep sperm swimming straight

by Daniel Jacobson

A molecular mechanism enabling correct sperm motility has been uncovered, shedding light on a key cause of male infertility...

PET BioNews
News
21 August 2020 • 3 minutes read

Female's cervical mucus selects best sperm

by Dr Charlott Repschläger

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland found that sperm function better in cervical mucus with less similar immune genes...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
7 August 2020 • 2 minutes read

How human sperm really swim

by Bernie Owusu-Yaw

Research using high-precision 3D microscopy has overturned 350-year-old observations about how sperm swim...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
12 June 2020 • 2 minutes read

Human eggs use chemical attraction to 'choose' sperm

by Ebtehal Moussa

The fluid that surrounds an egg when it is released acts as a chemical attractant to sperm, but may also select sperm from certain males over others...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Missing link shows how stress affects infertility

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.

Find out how you can advertise here
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

First UK medical guidelines issued for trans fertility preservation

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Male age has more impact on IVF birth rate than previously thought

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Call to end ban on HIV-positive partner gamete 'donation'

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Melanoma invades new tissues using nerve cell gene

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Exceeding alcohol limits could damage DNA and accelerate ageing

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Blood cell gene mutations affect mitochondria, increasing cardiovascular disease risk

15 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Jumping gene helps immune system fight viruses

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856