Izumo Protein

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the field of reproductive biology. It specifically discusses the finding of the all important protein molecule named Izumo by researchers and discusses how the discovery has opened a whole new frontier in the field of reproductive biology and research in the science of contraception. The paper discusses the benefits of the discovery.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"For the research, the authors used the process of homologous recombination to produce Izumo deficient allele and 3 types of mice: wild type, heterozygous and homozygous knockout mice (Izumo -/- with no izumo protein). It is important to note that izumo is detectable only after the sperm undergoes acrosome reaction. [Nazet.al 2001] The researchers found that the expression of the izumo protein did not in any way affect the levels of other related proteins such as ADAM2, CD147, and sp56 that are also involved in fusion process. Nine wild type female mice were paired with izumo -/- males and the results showed not a single case of pregnancy. The research also clearly showed that izumo protein was essential for the process of fusion and izumo deficient sperms can still produce healthy embryos. The possibility that fusion might have occurred and some other factor prevented formation of pronucleus was totally outruled because all the 282 studied eggs failed to form pronucleus in the presence of izumo devoid sperms. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of izumo -/- (izumo knockout sperm) did however proceed to create normal embryos suggesting clearly that the role of Izumo is clearly to do with fusion process and not beyond that. [Inoue et.al 2005]"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Wang, De Gang, Huang, Tian Hua, Xie, Quing Dong, An, Gang, (Mar 2008), 'Investigation of Recombinant mouse sperm protein Izumo as a potential immunocontraceptive agent', American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, Vol 59, No 3, pg. 225-234
• Inoue N, Ikawa M, Nakanishi T, Matsumoto M, Nomura M, Seya T, Okabe M. (2003) Disruption of mouse CD46 causes an accelerated spontaneous acrosome reaction in sperm. Mol Cell Biol. 23: 2614 -2622
• Cho C, Bunch DO, Faure JE, Goulding EH, Eddy EM, Primakoff P, Myles DG. (1998), 'Fertilization defects in sperm from mice lacking fertilin beta'. Science.281: 1857 -1859
• Naz RK, Leslie MH, Zhu X. (2001) 'Inhibition of murine sperm-oolemma binding by antibodies to an oocyte membrane (OM) antigen: implication in contraceptive vaccine development'. Am J Reprod Immunol. 45: 52 -61.
• Katie Winter, 'Review Paper: The immunoglobulin superfamily protein Izumo is required for sperm to fuse with eggs' retrieved 12th march 2008, from http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/Molbio/MolStudents/spring2005/Winter/Review.htm

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