By William J. Furney
By William J. Furney
In a pioneering study, Austrian scientists have uncovered how sperm and egg fusion operates like a lock-and-key system across vertebrates, thanks to the help of artificial intelligence. Researchers from the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna identified three proteins on sperm that work together to attach it to the egg, solving a key part of the mystery of fertilisation.
“We discovered this mechanism that’s really fundamental across all vertebrates as far as we can tell,” said Andrea Pauli, co-author of the study, published in the journal Cell.
Until now, scientists knew about two crucial proteins, one on the sperm and one on the egg, but how these interacted remained unclear. Pauli’s team used Google DeepMind’s AI tool, AlphaFold, to identify a third protein, revealing how these molecules form a connection. The discovery, drawn from studies on zebrafish, mice and human cells, shows how this fertilisation process has been conserved over millions of years of evolution.
The findings could pave the way for new approaches in infertility treatment, offering hope to couples struggling to conceive. Moreover, the identification of the sperm proteins provides promising targets for male contraceptives, a field that has long lagged behind female contraception. The possibility of creating a birth control pill for men is now closer than ever.
Despite the breakthrough, much about the fertilisation process remains unknown. While the team has demonstrated how sperm attaches to the egg, they have yet to uncover exactly how sperm penetrates the egg. This remains the next challenge for Pauli’s team, as they aim to uncover more details about this crucial biological event.
While Pauli’s findings mark a significant step forward in reproductive biology, many mysteries remain, especially regarding the post-attachment steps of fertilisation. By continuing to explore these complex molecular interactions, scientists hope to develop better infertility treatments and contraceptive solutions.
- Image is microscope view of a mouse egg being fertilised. (Credit: Yonggang Lu/Osaka University)