HOME >> BIOLOGY >> NEWS
NIEHS And U.C. Davis Researchers Find Protein That May Be Key To Non-Hormonal Family Planning And Treatment Of Infertility

Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the University of California at Davis report that one of the body's approximately 70,000 proteins, called fertilin-beta, is essential for bringing together sperm and egg for fertilization. The research team, led by Chunghee Cho of UC-Davis, presented findings that will be a milestone in understanding how a new life begins.

The researchers believe this finding can pave the way for a non-hormonal approach to family planning and the diagnosis and treatment of some types of infertility.

Twenty years of work by the UC-Davis investigators established that fertilin-beta plays an important role in fusion of the sperm to the egg in fertilization. In this latest study, a collaboration with NIEHS scientists, mice were produced with a knockout of the fertilin-beta gene. The investigators were not surprised that sperm from these mice were unable to fuse with eggs. However, they did not expect to find that the sperm could not travel up the oviduct or bind to the zona pellucida, the envelope surrounding the egg.

The study, which appears in the journal Science, Vol. 281, pp. 1857-1859, was authored by Chunghee Cho, Ph.D.; Paul Primakoff, Ph.D.; and Diana G. Myles, Ph.D., all of University of California, Davis; and Eugenia H. Goulding; Edward M. Eddy, Ph.D.; and Donna O'Dell Bunch, Ph.D., of the Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, NIEHS; and Jean-Emmanuel Faure, Ph.D., Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Lyon, France.

Dr. Cho, first author on the paper, said that "astronomers study the Big Bang, the moment when the Universe began. In life, sperm-egg fusion is the Big Bang and we now understand more about the few seconds before and few seconds after this event" said Dr. Cho. "With all the current concerns about the possible effects of endocrine disruptors on fertility and of hormone-based contraceptives on the development of so
'"/>

Contact: Tom Hawkins
hawkins@niehs.nih.gov
(919) 541-1402
NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
30-Sep-1998


Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. NIEHS/NTP Director Dr. Kenneth Olden receives Society of Toxicologys Public Communications Award
2. NIEHS and UNC to collaborate on registry of 20,000 subjects
3. NIEHS-funded researchers find low-level ozone increases respiratory risk of asthmatic children
4. NIEHS study identifies gene for hydrocephalus in mice
5. NIEHS, NTP director receives honorary doctorate
6. Advisory panel on federal report on carcinogens makes recommendations to NIEHS/NTP for new listings
7. NIEHS urges safety workers to prepare for Y2K false alarms and malfunctions
8. NIEHS-cloned gene linked to a natural substance that reduces vascular inflammation, a key to arterial clogging
9. NIEHS Finds Protein That Counteracts Inflammation And Wasting That May Target Rheumatoid Arthritis And Crohns Disease
10. Three-Way Gene-Gene-Environmental Exposure Interaction Shown By NIEHS To Escalate Smoking-Related Bladder Cancer
11. Controversial UK badger killings analyzed by UC Davis expert

Post Your Comments:
(Date:3/10/2014)... A short-term study found that oral glucosamine supplementation is ... among individuals with chronic knee pain. Findings published in ... American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, indicate that glucosamine ... lesionsmore commonly known as bone bruises and thought to ... (OA). , According to the ACR 27 million ...
(Date:3/10/2014)... costs rise, more Americans are turning to bioenergy to ... renewable energy made from organic sources, such as biomass. ... enough to fit on a farm can be built ... have found that creating a bioenergy grid with these ... the country as well as provide relief to an ...
(Date:3/10/2014)... brain injury, better known as a concussion, can deal ... at the University of Pennsylvania is using mathematical modeling ... kind of injury, with an eye toward protecting the ... published in the Biophysical Journal , shed new ... protein and its role in the elasticity of axons, ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Glucosamine fails to prevent deterioration of knee cartilage, decrease pain 2Small biomass power plants could help rural economies, stabilize national power grid, MU study finds 2Penn researchers model a key breaking point involved in traumatic brain injury 2Penn researchers model a key breaking point involved in traumatic brain injury 3Penn researchers model a key breaking point involved in traumatic brain injury 4
(Date:1/15/2014)... Two champions of science, technology, ... sponsorship of an annual competition for middle and ... and access to, innovative STEM study. The competition ... , TEAMS: Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, ... the Technology Student Association (TSA). TEAMS provides hands-on ...
(Date:1/15/2014)... (PRWEB) January 15, 2014 AudioNotch ... an experimental new therapy for the treatment of tinnitus. ... for their unique tinnitus frequency, and over a period ... AudioNotch has previously provided Notched Sound Therapy in two ... is pleased to announce to release of a new ...
(Date:1/14/2014)... Jan. 14, 2014  3D Communications, a leading provider of ... scientific, regulatory, business, and media events in the ... today announced its former associate Virginia Cox , JD, ... office. Virginia Cox re-joins 3D ... for the Office of External Affairs at the U.S. Food ...
(Date:1/14/2014)... iLab Solutions, the leader in core facility management ... of Product Strategy. In this role, Michelle will work ... sub-teams to guide in the development of iLab products. ... provides the maximum possible benefit to the scientific community ... in the world. , "I'm exceptionally excited that ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Technology Student Association Partners with Leaders in STEM Education Advocacy for Annual Competition 2Technology Student Association Partners with Leaders in STEM Education Advocacy for Annual Competition 3Technology Student Association Partners with Leaders in STEM Education Advocacy for Annual Competition 4Technology Student Association Partners with Leaders in STEM Education Advocacy for Annual Competition 5Former FDA Associate Commissioner Returns To 3D Communications 2iLab Solutions Announces Michelle Detwiler as the New Director of Product Strategy 2
Cached News: