Abstract

The focus of this Center is the sperm cell as a contraceptive target. Remarkable advances have occurred recently in cell and molecular biology, immunology and fertilization research. These advances have combined to open new possibilities for contraceptive intervention, directed against sperm cells, that may have been previously imagined but were unattainable. Anti-sperm contraception can target sperm function or sperm development. Our Center's projects include both targets. The major theme of our Center is immunocontraception to block sperm function. Our Center is actively studying sperm plasma membrane proteins that function in sperm-egg interaction. Immunization of males or females with these proteins can induce infertility because sperm function in gamete interaction is blocked by attached antibodies. A second theme is to block sperm development. Novel immunological and pharmacological strategies to derail the complex process of sperm production are proposed here. In the previous grant period, our Center devote all its efforts to the first theme, immunocontraception to block sperm function. However, all of us who study sperm function are aware of advances in spermatogenesis research and realized that new, feasible contraceptive targets sperm development are being identified. Thus, we have proposed an expansion of our target list to include sperm development, increasing our scope and chances of developing contraceptive products.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Specialized Center--Cooperative Agreements (U54)
Project #
5U54HD029125-11
Application #
6363390
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (SRC (UT))
Program Officer
Kaufman, Steven
Project Start
1997-03-01
Project End
2002-06-30
Budget Start
2001-03-01
Budget End
2002-06-30
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$1,242,592
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of California Davis
Department
Anatomy/Cell Biology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
094878337
City
Davis
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
95618

  Publications

Sutton, Keith A; Jungnickel, Melissa K; Ward, Christopher J et al. (2006) Functional characterization of PKDREJ, a male germ cell-restricted polycystin. J Cell Physiol 209:493-500
Yu, Junying; Deng, Manqi; Medvedev, Sergey et al. (2004) Transgenic RNAi-mediated reduction of MSY2 in mouse oocytes results in reduced fertility. Dev Biol 268:195-206
Yu, Junying; Hecht, Norman B; Schultz, Richard M (2003) Requirement for RNA-binding activity of MSY2 for cytoplasmic localization and retention in mouse oocytes. Dev Biol 255:249-62
Talbot, Prudence; Shur, Barry D; Myles, Diana G (2003) Cell adhesion and fertilization: steps in oocyte transport, sperm-zona pellucida interactions, and sperm-egg fusion. Biol Reprod 68:1-9
Miller, Christopher J; Lu, Fabien X (2003) Anti-HIV and -SIV immunity in the vagina. Int Rev Immunol 22:65-76
Tollner, Theodore L; Yudin, Ashley I; Cherr, Gary N et al. (2003) Real-time observations of individual macaque sperm undergoing tight binding and the acrosome reaction on the zona pellucida. Biol Reprod 68:664-72
Tollner, T L; Overstreet, J W; Branciforte, D et al. (2002) Immunization of female cynomolgus macaques with a synthetic epitope of sperm-specific lactate dehydrogenase results in high antibody titers but does not reduce fertility. Mol Reprod Dev 62:257-64
Deng, X; Meyers, S A; Tollner, T L et al. (2002) Immunological response of female macaques to the PH-20 sperm protein following injection of recombinant proteins or synthesized peptides. J Reprod Immunol 54:93-115
Li, Ming-Wen; Yudin, Ashley I; Robertson, Kathryn R et al. (2002) Importance of glycosylation and disulfide bonds in hyaluronidase activity of macaque sperm surface PH-20. J Androl 23:211-9
Primakoff, Paul; Myles, Diana G (2002) Penetration, adhesion, and fusion in mammalian sperm-egg interaction. Science 296:2183-5

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