Scientists Show How Sperm and Egg Unite Like a Key in a Lock

The fusion of a sperm and an egg has been a longstanding mystery.

New research from scientists in Austria offers intriguing insights, revealing that fertilization operates like a lock and key throughout the animal kingdom, from fish to humans.

“We discovered a fundamental mechanism shared by all vertebrates, as far as we know,” said co-author Andrea Pauli from the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna.

However, the team found that three proteins on the sperm combine to form a key that unlocks the egg, enabling the sperm to attach. Their findings, based on studies of zebrafish, mice, and human cells, demonstrate how this process has endured over millions of years of evolution. The results were published Thursday in the journal Cell.

Identifying a New Protein for Sperm-Egg Connection

While scientists previously identified two proteins—one on the sperm’s surface and another on the egg’s membrane—Pauli’s lab collaborated with international partners to utilize Google DeepMind’s AI tool AlphaFold, whose developers received a Nobel Prize earlier this month, to identify a new protein that facilitates the initial molecular connection between sperm and egg. They also showed how this protein functions in living organisms.

“It was previously unclear how the proteins ‘worked together as a team to enable sperm and egg to recognize each other,’” Pauli noted.

Scientists still do not fully understand how the sperm enters the egg after attachment and plan to investigate this next.

Ultimately, Pauli indicated that this research could enhance understanding of infertility and aid in the development of new birth control methods.

In conclusion, David Greenstein, a genetics and cell biology expert at the University of Minnesota who was not involved in the study, highlighted that the findings offer targets for the development of male contraceptives.

He added that the study “also highlights the significance of this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry.”

Read the original article on: Phys Org

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