Elucidation of the mechanisms of sperm-egg fusion using genetically modified mice

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20H03172
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 42040:Laboratory animal science-related
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University (2021-2023); Osaka University (2020)
• Principal Investigator: Noda Taichi 熊本大学, 大学院先導機構, 准教授 (50712551)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 原山 洋 神戸大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (30281140)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 受精 / 精子 / 融合

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sperm bind to and fuse with eggs, leading to the fertilization. The objective of this study is to identify factors for the sperm-egg interaction using genetically modified mice. Specifically, I generated Dcst1 or Dcst2 knockout (KO) mice using CRISPR/Cas9. Female mice mated with these KO males hardly deliver the pups. When KO sperm were incubated with eggs, the KO sperm could pass through the zone pellucida and bind to eggs. However, these sperm hardly fused with eggs. These results indicate that DCST1 and DCST2, sperm proteins, are essential for sperm-egg fusion.

Free Research Field

生殖生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

申請者や共同研究者らは、精子受精能力に関わる因子の同定を目的として、精巣で強発現する遺伝子を中心にKOマウスを作製して表現型スクリーニングを行っている。その結果、今回の成果も含めて、6つの精巣タンパク質が精子と卵の融合に必要であることを同定できた。これらの成果は、男性不妊の新たな原因遺伝子として診断・検査の対象となり、治療薬や避妊薬の開発へと繋がることが期待される。