The key to male infertility lies in the 381 proteins that make the sperm, say scientists of the University of Bath. For the first time, they have catalogued the proteins of the sperm of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. This may help explain some of the mysteries of infertility, say the researchers.
The study published online in Nature Genetics on November 12 marks the first characterisation of the protein components of a higher eukaryotic cell--a cell in which all the genetic components are contained within a nucleus. Proteome, the collection of proteins in the cell, contains everything the sperm needs to survive and function correctly, and scientists can use it to investigate the factors that make some sperm more successful than others.
Comparison of the sperm proteome of the fruit fly with other species will help scientists to work out the core sperm proteome or the basic constituents a sperm needs for sexual reproduction.
"Proteins are the key to several functions like forming structural materials and catalysing chemical reactions. Thus the work offers a tantalising glimpse into how we might begin to answer some of biology's most fundamental questions," said Tim Karr, the lead author.
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