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Key protein that helps sperm and egg create new life discovered

  • The egg’s surface is studded with a protein that is essential for fertility
  • Protein has been named Juno, after goddess of marriage and fertility
  • Juno ‘mates’ with a partner protein on sperm at the moment of conception
  • Discovery could help with development of fertility treatments

By
Fiona Macrae


Published:

12:00 EST, 16 April 2014

|
Updated:

02:01 EST, 17 April 2014

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comments

One of the secrets of creating new life has been discovered by scientists – bringing hope of better treatment for childless women.

British researchers have shown that the egg’s surface is studded with a protein that is essential for fertility.

Christened Juno, after the Roman goddess of marriage and fertility, it ‘mates’ with a partner protein on sperm, at the moment of conception.  

Hope: British researchers have discovered a protein on the surface of a woman’s egg that is essential for fertility. Called Juno, it ‘mates’ with a partner protein on sperm, at the moment of conception

Without Juno, the sperm and egg cannot fuse to create new life.

Researcher Gavin Wright, of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge, said: ‘We have solved a long-standing mystery in biology by identifying the molecules displayed on all sperm and egg that must bind each other at the moment we were conceived.

‘Without this essential interaction, fertilisation just cannot happen. We may be able to use this discovery to improve fertility treatments and develop new contraceptives.’

Since 2005, when an essential protein was found sitting on head of sperm, the search has been on for its female counterpart.

The Sanger Institute team created an artificial version of the sperm protein and the used it to hunt out its egg version.

Moving forward: Scientists now hope the discovery of the new protein could help improve fertility treatments such as IVF

On finding Juno, they did a series of tests that proved it to be necessary for fertilisation.

Importantly, mice that were unable to make Juno seemed perfectly healthy but were infertile.

Although they made eggs, sperm were unable to bind to them, the journal Nature reports.

The experiments also revealed that Juno is quickly removed from the surface of an egg after fertilisation occurs.

Protection: The protein may also play a role in developing contraceptives of the future

This ensures only sperm binds with the egg and increases the odds of a successful pregnancy.

It is thought that a similar protein is found on women’s eggs – and that flaws in it could explain why some couples can’t have children.

If this is the case, women found to have a faulty Juno protein could be treated with ICSI, a special type of IVF, in which the sperm is injected directly into the egg.

This would bypass the flawed Juno protein on the surface and could allow them to achieve their dream of motherhood.

Researcher Dr Erin Bianchi said: ‘Infertility is becoming an increasing problem, especially in Western countries, and it is remarkable that 20 per cent of infertility cases have an unexplained cause.

‘We are now testing whether Juno is involved in these cases.’

Dr Allan Pacey, a Sheffield University fertility expert, said: ‘The identification of the Juno protein opens up many exciting prospects.

‘Perhaps the most obvious biomedical application of this finding is whether screening for this protein could be used as a test of fertility.’

However, he questioned how many couples would benefit.

The discovery could also lead to new contraceptives.  As they wouldn’t be based on hormones, they should be free of the mood-swings, acne and other unwelcome side-effects of existing drugs. 

Contraceptive jabs could also be used to control badgers, deer and other populations, rather than resorting to culling.

 

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Comments (22)

what you think

The comments below have not been moderated.

Rarius,

Treve, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

THE WORLD IS BEING KILLED BY OVERPOPULATION. SORRY BUT RESEARCH SHOULD BE INTO A CONTROLLED AND RAPID DEPOPULATION !

Calo Nord,

Yavin IV, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

I assume you and the people who green arrowed this idiotic drivel are going to volunteer yourselves to be “depopulated” then?

Keyser Soze Kelly,

Dublin, Ireland,

6 hours ago

When I see stories like this I can’t help but feel it’s very selfish. There are so many unwanted babies and children in orphanages and foster homes..

gazzab,

Leeds, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

Why the red arrows? It’s TRUE!

rickyo,

Charleston,

7 hours ago

Like we need more people on this overcrowded planet, that we are slowly destroying.

anna,

london,

11 hours ago

Ladies, just take magnesium orally every day and apply 100 percent bio identical progesterone cream. Sorted

gazzab,

Leeds, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

….or just have lots of sex!

Yarply Twelve,

Tn, United States,

11 hours ago

oh so now an egg and sperm creates life, but it seems such a big mystery when abortion is involved.

steve,

london,

12 hours ago

just in the nick of time too , I was worried that as a species , we were going extinct.

SouthernBelle,

Baton Rouge, Louisiana,

12 hours ago

That’s fantastic news, hopefully this gives couples hope!

Eros,

psyche, United Kingdom,

13 hours ago

If this protein could be tamed it could be used very constructively to prevent mass famine and yet give couples great joy.

Beckyb,

Bedfordshire,

13 hours ago

Brilliant news. Hopefully they can eventually help infertile couples.
It always has amazed me how something as complex as a human can grow from 2 single cells into a baby. Just incredible.

pennyp,

boston,

13 hours ago

stop trying to play god – not every human was meant to procreate and the fact that too many women are
now having a litter says it all – time to refocus on saving the planet and the all the deserving lifeforns except humans

ZippidyDooDah,

OuterSpace, United Kingdom,

3 hours ago

All medical intervention is ‘playing god’ – unless, for example, putting someone else’s heart into you or I is ‘natural’ … Surely it’s just nature’s way of telling us we’re no longer needed on the planet ?

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