American biologists from the University of California at Berkeley found that in the tail of the sperm cell has special receptors, are activated when reaching the egg. According to scientists, this new knowledge will help them not only to develop an effective drug to treat male infertility, but also to create an oral contraceptive for both sexes.
Researchers report that discovered in the tail of sperm cells special receptors ABHD2 protein are first in deaktivirovannom condition. Under the influence of egg produced by the steroid hormone, progesterone is the activation of male germ cells, and they are set in motion. After fertilization of the egg form a zygote (contains a complete double set of chromosomes), which later will form the fetus.
As explained by an employee of the University of California Melissa Miller (Melissa Miller), if the receptors of male germ cells for some reason do not respond to steroid hormone, occurs infertility. In her opinion, further study discovered the mechanism will help not only to create the treatment of one of the possible types of male infertility, but will even serve completely opposite goals: the development of a universal contraceptive for both sexes.
Experts note that the drug, inactivating spermatozoa, can be an effective form of birth control of the population, however, there is concern that its development will lead to a rise in sexually transmitted diseases.
Senior author of the study, Lesko Polina (Polina Lishko) added that now that they know the subtleties of the interaction of progesterone receptor protein and ABHD2, the next step in their work will find new target organs that are also affected by progesterone. This approach may open new methods of influence on the nature of the pain threshold, the production of surfactant in the lungs or normalize contractions of smooth muscle fibers in bronchial asthma.