Grant: Project Grant

Fertilization is an essential biological process in sexual reproduction and comprises a series of molecular interactions between the sperm and egg. The merger of the sperm and egg requires three essential proteins: Izumo1, Juno and CD9. These three proteins are indispensible for fertilization, as mice lacking in CD9, Juno or Izumo1 are healthy but infertile. Despite its central importance for reproductive medicine, surprisingly very little is known about the molecular mechanisms that orchestrate mammalian fertilization and fusion. Here, we propose a series of integrated, multidisciplinary approaches designed to unravel the role of Izumo1, Juno and CD9 in sperm-egg fusion. These studies will bring us one step closer to the development of non-hormonal contraceptives and fertility treatments.