Mechanisms of generation of sperm heterogeneity

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19175
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 42:Veterinary medical science, animal science, and related fields
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Hara Kenshiro 東北大学, 農学研究科, 准教授 (60551546)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 盧 尚建 東北大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (90322130)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 精子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The decline in the quality of animal sperm has been reported as a problem that can reduce livestock productivity. However, effective methods to address this issue do not currently exist, and there is a need to understand the mechanisms that govern sperm quality. In this study, we have made progress in developing foundational techniques to analyze factors that influence the quality of sperm in the male body, using mice as a model. While there were some experiments that did not proceed as planned, there were also certain advancements, such as the development of a system that incorporates fluorescent labeling into the sperm, enabling long-term tracing.

Free Research Field

繁殖生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で得られた成果は、ほ乳動物のオス体内における精子の追跡を可能にするものであり、精子の品質制御の理解に資する解析技術の基礎となるものである。この技術シーズの利活用を通じて、将来的に、ほ乳動物の精子の品質を決める新しい分子メカニズムの理解が期待される。その知見を家畜の人工授精の効率化、野生動物の繁殖制御、さらには男性不妊症の研究に応用することで、農学的・医学的に有用な生殖技術へと発展することが期待される。