Find and fuse: Unsolved mysteries in sperm-egg recognition.
Sexual reproduction is such a successful way of creating progeny with subtle genetic variations that the vast majority of eukaryotic species use it. In mammals, it involves the formation of highly specialised cells: the sperm in males and the egg in females, each carrying the genetic inheritance of...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-11-01
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| Series: | PLoS Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000953 |
| _version_ | 1818361425968496640 |
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| author | Enrica Bianchi Gavin J Wright |
| author_facet | Enrica Bianchi Gavin J Wright |
| author_sort | Enrica Bianchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sexual reproduction is such a successful way of creating progeny with subtle genetic variations that the vast majority of eukaryotic species use it. In mammals, it involves the formation of highly specialised cells: the sperm in males and the egg in females, each carrying the genetic inheritance of an individual. The interaction of sperm and egg culminates with the fusion of their cell membranes, triggering the molecular events that result in the formation of a new genetically distinct organism. Although we have a good cellular description of fertilisation in mammals, many of the molecules involved remain unknown, and especially the identity and role of cell surface proteins that are responsible for sperm-egg recognition, binding, and fusion. Here, we will highlight and discuss these gaps in our knowledge and how the role of some recently discovered sperm cell surface and secreted proteins contribute to our understanding of this fundamental process. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:16:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-44b98c9899b645d5a705c9ad576a81ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1544-9173 1545-7885 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:16:29Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-44b98c9899b645d5a705c9ad576a81ee2022-12-21T23:31:13ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852020-11-011811e300095310.1371/journal.pbio.3000953Find and fuse: Unsolved mysteries in sperm-egg recognition.Enrica BianchiGavin J WrightSexual reproduction is such a successful way of creating progeny with subtle genetic variations that the vast majority of eukaryotic species use it. In mammals, it involves the formation of highly specialised cells: the sperm in males and the egg in females, each carrying the genetic inheritance of an individual. The interaction of sperm and egg culminates with the fusion of their cell membranes, triggering the molecular events that result in the formation of a new genetically distinct organism. Although we have a good cellular description of fertilisation in mammals, many of the molecules involved remain unknown, and especially the identity and role of cell surface proteins that are responsible for sperm-egg recognition, binding, and fusion. Here, we will highlight and discuss these gaps in our knowledge and how the role of some recently discovered sperm cell surface and secreted proteins contribute to our understanding of this fundamental process.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000953 |
| spellingShingle | Enrica Bianchi Gavin J Wright Find and fuse: Unsolved mysteries in sperm-egg recognition. PLoS Biology |
| title | Find and fuse: Unsolved mysteries in sperm-egg recognition. |
| title_full | Find and fuse: Unsolved mysteries in sperm-egg recognition. |
| title_fullStr | Find and fuse: Unsolved mysteries in sperm-egg recognition. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Find and fuse: Unsolved mysteries in sperm-egg recognition. |
| title_short | Find and fuse: Unsolved mysteries in sperm-egg recognition. |
| title_sort | find and fuse unsolved mysteries in sperm egg recognition |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000953 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT enricabianchi findandfuseunsolvedmysteriesinspermeggrecognition AT gavinjwright findandfuseunsolvedmysteriesinspermeggrecognition |