tailieunhanh - Báo cáo sinh học: "The human spermatozoon – a stripped down but refined machine"

Tuyển tập các báo cáo nghiên cứu về sinh học được đăng trên tạp chí sinh học Journal of Biology đề tài: The human spermatozoon – a stripped down but refined machine. | Journal of Biology Minireview The human spermatozoon - a stripped down but refined machine Christopher LR Barratt Vanessa Kayt and Senga K Oxenham Addresses Reproductive and Developmental Biology Maternal and Child Health Science Laboratories Centre for Oncology and Molecular Medicine Ninewells Hospital University of Dundee Dundee DD1 9SY UK. tAssisted Conception Unit Ninewells Hospital Dundee DD1 9SY UK. Correspondence Christopher LR Barratt. Email Abstract A recent paper in BMC Developmental Biology describes the development of the annulus of the mouse sperm cell but much remains to be learnt about sperm cells despite their importance in human fertility. The global health problems of infertility and sperm dysfunction In a world in which population growth and its subsequent control seem to be critical problems it is counterintuitive to think that one in six couples are subfertile still trying for a child after over 1 year of unprotected intercourse . In fact approximately 80 million couples throughout the world are subfertile 1 . What is perhaps more surprising is that male infertility accounts for at least 50 of these cases and that sperm dysfunction sperm being present in the ejaculate but lacking normal function is the single most common cause affecting approximately one in 20 men. This is a high proportion of the population compared with other prevalent diseases male subfertility is thus a very significant global problem and most worryingly reports suggest that its prevalence is increasing. A recent report by Guan and colleagues in BMC Developmental Biology 2 describes the development of a specific but relatively poorly studied structure the annulus in the formation of the mature spermatozoon. The annulus is an electron dense ring structure at the junction of the mid piece and principal piece. Its function is not clearly established but it may constitute a diffusion barrier between the two compartments and or facilitate mitochondria .