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BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Researchers have discovered how a human egg captures an incoming sperm1 for fertilization, paving the way to help couples suffering from infertility2, according to media reports on Monday.
An international team of researchers found that a sugar chain known as the sialyl-lewis-x sequence (SLeX) makes the outer coat of the egg “sticky,” which has proven to be helpful in binding4 the egg and the sperm.
As a result, this observation has filled in a huge gap in the understanding of fertility and provides hope for ultimately helping5 couples who currently cannot conceive.
Scientists and doctors know that a sperm identifies an egg when proteins on the head of the sperm match and bind3 to a series of specific sugars in the egg’s outer coating. With a successful match of proteins, the outside surfaces of the sperm and egg then bind together before merging6, which is then followed by delivery of sperm’s DNA7 into egg.
To identify this molecules8, the researchers used ultra-sensitive mass-spectrometric imaging technology to observe and identify which molecules are most likely to be key in the binding process.
They experimented with a range of synthesised sugars in the laboratory and found that it is SLeX that specifically binds9 sperm to an egg.
According to the World Health Organisation10, infertility affects about 15 percent of reproductive-aged couples around the world and almost one in every seven couples in Britain has problems conceiving a child for various reasons.
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1 sperm | |
n.精子,精液 | |
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2 infertility | |
n.不肥沃,不毛;不育 | |
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3 bind | |
vt.捆,包扎;装订;约束;使凝固;vi.变硬 | |
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4 binding | |
有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的 | |
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5 helping | |
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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6 merging | |
合并(分类) | |
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7 DNA | |
(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸 | |
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8 molecules | |
分子( molecule的名词复数 ) | |
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9 binds | |
v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 );装订;捆绑;(用长布条)缠绕 | |
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10 organisation | |
n.组织,安排,团体,有机休 | |
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