Study Finds
Sperm ‘switch’ would allow men to turn their fertility on and off
BERLIN, Germany — The biological race between sperm to reach an egg is a fierce and competitive process. Now, researchers in Germany say they have discovered which protein gives sperm the winning edge. Their study finds a molecular “switch” in sperm could also allow men to turn their fertility on and off.
Experiments on mice find the “winner” carries a set of toxic mutations that poison rival sperm. Researchers say a genetic factor called “t-haplotype” promotes the success of the sperm carrying it. They are also fueled by a protein called RAC1, the molecular switch that propels sperm forward.