The study has pinpointed a crucial protein complex that plays a vital role in sperm-egg binding across vertebrates. (Photo: Getty)

Nobel-winning Google AI reveals intimate hook up of sperm and egg

The research, published recently, uses AlphaFold-Multimer, a Nobel-winning AI tool that predicts how proteins interact.

by · India Today

In Short

  • The study has pinpointed a crucial protein complex
  • It plays a vital role in sperm-egg binding across vertebrates
  • This discovery presents a universal model for fertilization in vertebrates

Days after AlphaFold team was announced as one of the winners of Nobel Prize in Chemistry, a new study, using the Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool, has shed light on the process of fertilisation, revealing the intricate molecular interactions that allow sperm and egg to fuse — a fundamental step in sexual reproduction.

The research, published recently, uses AlphaFold-Multimer, a Nobel-winning AI tool that predicts how proteins interact.

The study has pinpointed a crucial protein complex that plays a vital role in sperm-egg binding across vertebrates.

The team, led by researchers who applied this cutting-edge AI, discovered that the protein Tmem81 is part of a trio of essential fertilisation proteins on sperm, along with Izumo1 and Spaca.

These three proteins work together to form a binding site on the sperm surface, which allows them to connect with egg proteins during fertilisation.

This discovery presents a universal model for fertilization in vertebrates. (Photo: Getty)

The study, conducted on zebrafish and mice, showed that Tmem81 is critical for male fertility. Without it, sperm are unable to fuse with the egg.

Researchers demonstrated that the three proteins — Tmem81, Izumo1, and Spaca6 — interact in zebrafish sperm, with similar interactions observed in human sperm through lab testing.

In zebrafish, this protein complex creates a binding site for an egg protein called Bouncer, which facilitates fertilisation. In mammals, the same sperm complex binds to a different egg protein known as JUNO.

This discovery presents a universal model for fertilization in vertebrates, where the sperm's conserved protein complex interacts with egg proteins that vary across species.

“Our findings bring us closer to understanding how fertilization works at the molecular level in different animals,” explained one of the lead researchers. “This could have far-reaching implications for fertility research and treatments.”

The research, powered by AI technology, is a major step forward in unraveling the mysteries of reproductive biology and may eventually pave the way for improved fertility treatments and better understanding of reproductive disorders.