The happiness of having a child with your partner is something many people dream of. However, it is rarely a completely uncomplicated process. On the way, there are both obstacles such as the timing having to be right, but also that sometimes it doesn’t work, no matter how hard you try. New research at the University of Gothenburg shows that the cause may be a gene that makes men infertile.
Mice are tested first
The research is carried out at the University of Gothenburg and is led by Kexin Zhang, PhD student in molecular biology. The result shows that there is a gene in male mice that controls how good his sperm are at moving. The reason is a protein, called MC2, which plays a crucial role in creating a connection between the head and tail of the sperm.
– The coupling sits in the “neck” of the sperm head and enables a coordinated movement and function when the sperm should swim towards the egg. Without such a connection, the tail and the head will indeed be perfectly created, individually, but to no avail, as they cannot reach the goal, Zhang explains to forskning.se
“New treatments for male infertility”
The hope is that the research will, among other things, help with the issue of involuntary childlessness, but could also lead to a new male contraceptive.
– It is estimated that approximately 15 percent of all heterosexual couples have difficulty having children. In about half of the cases, the cause lies with the man. I hope that our research can eventually lead to new diagnostic methods and to new treatments for male infertility. One could also think of creating a male contraceptive by switching off this gene, says Zhang.