Collaborative Research: Chemical Communication and the Language of Gametes

尽管经过了一个世纪的密集研究，受精仍然是最不被了解的基本生物学过程之一。目前的理论预测，膜结合蛋白促进配子识别，但吸引同种精子的可溶性卵子化合物也可以作为合子前因子，在保持物种完整性的同时提高受精率。虽然雄配子和雌配子之间的细胞接触识别对有性繁殖至关重要，但可溶性卵子因子的作用仍不确定。该项目使用鲍鱼(Haliotis属)，将形成的概念框架与前所未有的技术和基础设施相结合，以建立精子和卵子的化学“语言”。预计这将提供第一个具体证据，证明杂交障碍可以在配子接触之前发挥作用，并且远程化学信号可以促进物种形成。这项研究对人类生殖生物学和野生动物保护具有重要意义。未来的研究可能会推动解决人类避孕和不孕不育问题的创新方法，将鲍鱼作为一个有价值的动物模型：研究人员与德国同事合作，识别并克隆了人类精子膜上化学感受器的编码基因。最近的发现将受体功能与精子吸引卵子联系在一起。保护生物学中引人注目的挑战也将受益于感官刺激控制受精的新知识。对于许多受威胁或濒临灭绝的物种来说，从鲍鱼和珊瑚到猿猴和大象，受精是物种繁殖的瓶颈。精子化学吸引的基础研究可能会为生殖生物学中的老年问题提供原创性的解决方案。例如，在人工繁殖项目中，可以使用可溶性精子诱导剂来识别最有希望的捐精者。假设配偶之间配子匹配，拥有快速和对化学反应敏感的精子的捐赠者可能会增加受精的可能性，同时潜在地改善后代的质量。调查人员有着积极的社区宣传以及本科生和研究生教育的强大传统。特别是，该项目将促进对妇女和代表不足的学生进行跨学科研究，以促进生理学、遗传学和环境科学方面的职业发展。

Despite a century of intensive research, fertilization is one of the least understood fundamental biological processes. Current theory predicts that membrane-bound proteins promote gamete recognition, but soluble-egg compounds attracting conspecific sperm could also act as pre-zygotic factors maintaining species integrity while increasing fertilization rates. Whereas cell contact recognition between male and female gametes is critical for sexual reproduction, the role of soluble egg factors remains undetermined. Using abalone (genus Haliotis), this project combines a formative conceptual framework with unprecedented techniques and infrastructure to establish the chemical 'language' of sperm and egg. It is expected to provide the first concrete evidence that barriers to hybridization can function prior to gamete contact, and that remote chemical signals can promote speciation. This study has implications for reproductive biology in humans as well as wildlife conservation. Future research could advance innovative approaches for solving problems in human contraception and infertility, using abalone as a valuable animal model: working with German colleagues, the investigators have identified and cloned genes coding for chemoreceptors on human sperm membranes. Recent discoveries link receptor function with sperm attraction to egg. Compelling challenges in conservation biology also will benefit from new knowledge of sensory stimuli controlling fertilization. For many threatened or endangered species, from abalone and corals to apes and elephants, fertilization is the bottleneck to species proliferation. Basic research on sperm chemoattraction is likely to yield original solutions to age old problems in reproductive biology. In captive breeding programs, for example, soluble sperm attractants could be used to identify the most promising sperm donors. Assuming gamete compatibility between mates, a donor with fast and chemo-responsive sperm may enhance the probability of fertilization while potentially improving offspring quality. The investigators have a strong tradition of active community outreach and undergraduate and graduate education. In particular, this project will invigorate training of women and underrepresented students in interdisciplinary research, towards careers in physiology, genetics, and environmental sciences.