"Scientists have identified a protein that may be key to proper sperm formation. Without it, male mice produced no viable sperm, they found. A team at the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research in Japan found that a protein called Poc5 appears critical to the development of sperm's tailthe vital part that helps them swim toward an egg in order to fertilize it."
"Infertility affects one in six people around the globe, according to the World Health Organization. And an estimated 50 percent of cases of infertility involve male factor issues. Yet despite being so common, the causes of male infertility are poorly understood, and most infertility treatments focus on treating women. When a male is infertile, the burden falls on the female, says cell biologist Tomer Aviador-Reiss of the University of Toledo, who was not involved in the study."
Poc5 is critical to sperm tail development; absence in male mice results in no viable sperm. Mouse and human sperm share structural similarities, making the result relevant to human infertility. Applying microscopy techniques to human spermatids could identify structural abnormalities that underlie infertility. Infertility affects one in six people globally, with male factors involved in about half of cases. Causes of male infertility remain poorly understood, and diagnostic challenges persist because sperm are very small and structurally complex. Many infertility treatments prioritize female patients, placing the burden on women when male infertility is present.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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