How proteins protect mammalian sperm on their way to the egg cell

Chemistry and Physics of Lipids (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2023.105306″> Credit: Chemistry and Physics of Lipids (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2023.105306

Mammalian seminal fluid contains a variety of proteins secreted by the accessory sex glands that are important for the processes involved in fertilization. One of these proteins, which is found in ungulates—and in particularly large quantities in boars—is the spermadhesin AQN-3.

A science team from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), the Humboldt University of Berlin (HUB) and the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology has studied the protein and discovered unexpected properties that could help sperm remain functional until they reach the egg. The findings are published in the scientific journal Chemistry and Physics of Lipids.

The proteins in seminal fluid are important for the

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