Research on the DNA in the sperm of tiny soil worms sheds new light on the causes of human male infertility. Diana S. Chu, assistant professor of biology, is lead author on the paper, "Sperm Chromatin Proteomics Identifies Evolutionarily Conserved Fertility Factors," which identifies new proteins critical to the production of healthy sperm. Chu's cutting-edge research is the cover story of the Sept. 7 issue of the journal Nature.
Male infertility contributes to about 30 percent of reproductive failure in the United States. "Male fertility treatments go around the cause," Chu said. "No one knows the molecular basis of infertility ... how the proteins work." Her research concentrates on identifying these causes. The identification of the factors that function in fertility and reproduction could define new avenues for understanding human male infertility, finding appropriate treatments, and/or identifying male contraceptive methods.
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