Sperm specific proteins-potential candidate molecules for fertility control
AUTOR(ES)
Suri, Anil
FONTE
BioMed Central
RESUMO
The increase in population growth rate warrants the development of additional contraceptive methods that are widely acceptable, free from side effects and less expensive. Immunocontraception, and in particular the targeting of antibodies to gamete-specific antigens implicated in sperm egg binding and fertilization, offers an attractive approach to control fertility. The development of a contraceptive vaccine based on sperm antigen represents a promising approach to contraception. In mammals, fertilization is completed by the direct interaction of sperm and egg, a process mediated primarily by sperm surface proteins. Sperm have proteins that are unique, cell specific, immunogenic and accessible to antibodies. A few of the sperm specific proteins have been isolated and characterized. The antibodies raised against the sperm specific antigens have proved to be extremely effective at reducing sperm-egg interaction in vitro; fertility trials in sub-human primates would eventually prove the effectiveness of the sperm antigens in terms of contraceptive efficacy.
ACESSO AO ARTIGO
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=390271Documentos Relacionados
- Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase-S, a sperm-specific glycolytic enzyme, is required for sperm motility and male fertility
- Sperm-specific protein kinase A catalytic subunit Cα2 orchestrates cAMP signaling for male fertility
- Reduced fertility in mice deficient for the POU protein sperm-1
- Potential sperm donors should be tested for HPV
- Manganese provides antioxidant protection for sperm cryopreservation that may offer new consideration for clinical fertility