2023-10-31 05:00:05
A major breakthrough sheds light on the function of a key protein for sperm motility. This discovery might open up new perspectives in the field of male fertility.
Image d’illustration Pixabay
This protein, named SLC9C1, regulates (Regulates are alloys of tin or lead and antimony.) pH, salt content and volume (Volume, in physical or mathematical sciences, is a quantity that measures the extension…) of the cell. Located in the cell membrane of spermatozoa, it transports sodium ions (Sodium is a chemical element, with symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a…) and hydrogen (Hydrogen is a chemical element with symbol H and atomic number 1.), which keeps the cell alive (Life is the name given :). Christina Paulino, structural biologist at the University of Heidelberg (Heidelberg is a city in Germany located in the Neckar valley, northwest of…), specified that this protein was fundamental (In music, the word fundamental can refer to several meanings.) for fertility (For common sense, fertility designates at the end of the 20th century the…) masculine. However, its role varies depending on the species. Paulino and his team notably studied how SLC9C1 functions in sea urchins. This work might reveal how sperm adapt mechanisms from other cells to create unique proteins.
SLC9C1 has a composite structure, bringing together previously unpublished elements in the same protein. It is capable of detecting voltage variations across the cell membrane, reacting to molecular messengers and carrying out ion exchanges.
The team used cryo-electron microscopy to study the complex structure of this protein. This process made it possible to highlight previously unknown details regarding its architecture and functioning. In sea urchins, the protein makes the internal environment of the sperm cells more basic, by exchanging sodium and proton ions. This transfer is triggered by changes in cell membrane tension.
“This mechanism is remarkable because it adopts components usually found in other types of membrane transport proteins,” explains Christina Paulino. Researchers are now interested in the potential role of SLC9C1 in male infertility. The specificity of this protein towards sperm makes it an interesting target for the development of male contraceptives.
1699193437
#contraceptives #infertility #treatments #sight
