The sperm has only one goal: to fertilize the egg. And, in order to reach it, he is also willing to “play dirty”. But not everyone is able to do it. In fact, it is spermatozoa that have a certain genetic mutation, called a t-haplotype, that do this, which allows them to sabotage their rivals. To reveal this ruthless strategy is a study conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin and published in the journal Plos Genetics.
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The researchers analyzed the mice’s sperm cells under a microscope, finding that some of them move faster and swim in a straight line than others. These samples are the same ones that have the t-haplotype genetic mutation. The sperm of mice without the mutation, on the other hand, swim less productively and move more slowly and in circles. According to the researchers, the advantage that comes from the mutation is linked to the production of molecules capable of disturbing rivals. More precisely, these molecules prevent sperm from interacting with the environment and orienting themselves.
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“The trick is that haplotype-t” poisons “all spermatozoa, but at the same time – he explains Bernhard Herrmann, director of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics – produces an antidote, which acts only in spermatozoa with a t-haplotype and protects them. Let’s imagine a marathon, in which all the participants receive poisoned drinking water, but in which some runners also take an antidote ». The same scientists then discovered another important protein, called Rac1, which guides the sperm towards the egg. If these findings hold true for humans as well, the implications could have important repercussions against a widespread problem. “Studying the levels of this protein in human samples could help develop effective treatments against infertility in men,” concludes Herrmann.
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