Scientists Made The Long-Sought Discovery Of How Sperm Latches Onto An Egg

Scientists have said they have made a long-sought discovery of how sperm latches onto an egg in the first spark of reproduction, an outcome of a near decade-long hunt. The finding opens up avenues for new contraceptions or treating infertility. When a sperm meets an egg, they fuse to form a single-cell entity called zygote, which divides to produce an embryo. In 2005, Japanese scientists reported that they had found a molecule jutting from the membrane of mammalian sperm that docks onto the surface of egg. They called it Izumo, after a Japanese Marriage shrine. "we have solved a long-standing mystery in biology by identifying the molecules displayed on all sperms and eggs," said the lead researcher Gavin Wright. "Without the essential interaction fertilisation just can not happen. We may be able to use this discovery to improve fertility treatments and to develop new contraceptives." If defects in Juno proved to be cause of infertility, asimple genetic test could advise the couple seeking to have a baby, researcher hope.