"Bouncer", the Gate-Keeper of the Egg, Controls Sperm Entry
Friday, September 7, 2018 - 03:49
in Biology & Nature
Fertilisation is a pivotal process underlying all sexual reproduction, yet its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Scientists at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna have now identified a protein they called "Bouncer" as a crucial factor for sperm entry into the egg. Remarkably, this protein is sufficient to allow fertilization between different species. The study is published in the current issue of the journal Science.