SPE-51, a sperm-secreted protein with an immunoglobulin-like domain, is required for fertilization in C. elegans.

ABSTRACT: Fertilization is a fundamental process in sexual reproduction during which gametes fuse to combine their genetic material and start the next generation in their life cycle. Fertilization involves species-specific recognition, adhesion, and fusion between the gametes.^1,2 In mammals and other model species, some proteins are known to be required for gamete interactions and have been validated with loss-of-function fertility phenotypes.^3,4 Yet, the molecular basis of sperm-egg interaction is not well understood. In a forward genetic screen for fertility mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans, we identified spe-51. Mutant worms make sperm that are unable to fertilize the oocyte but otherwise normal by all available measurements. The

SUBMITTER: Mei X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10528068 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature