Austrian researchers discover key sperm proteins facilitating egg attachment, enhancing infertility understanding and potentially inspiring new birth control methods.

Researchers in Austria have uncovered a lock-and-key mechanism in fertilization, essential for sperm and egg fusion across species, including fish and humans. Their study, published in Cell, identifies three sperm proteins that act as a key to unlock the egg, facilitating attachment. They also discovered a new protein crucial for the initial sperm-egg connection. This breakthrough may enhance understanding of infertility and inspire new birth control methods, particularly male contraceptives.

October 17, 2024
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