A step closer to understanding fertilisation
Luca Jovine, CIMED Senior Investigator, and his research group have determined the 3D structure of Juno, a mammalian egg protein essential for triggering gamete fusion, thereby taking a step closer to understanding the mechanism that leads to the fusion of egg and sperm at fertilisation. Their findings are not only interesting from an evolutionary perspective, but also reveal the shape of a possible target for future non-hormonal contraceptives.
The finding is published in Current Biology ”Divergent evolution of vitamin B9 binding underlies Juno-mediated adhesion of mammalian gametes”.
Please also see the KI Press release regarding the finding.
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