Immunohistochemistry staining of Sertoli cells with green cytoplasms and red nuclei. LEE B. SMITH
A microtubule-regulating enzyme integral to spermiogenesis may be target for future male contraceptive or fertility treatments, according to research published today (May 24) in PLoS Genetics. An international team of researchers identified a new enzyme, KATNAL1, which appears to regulate spermatid maturation in mice by controlling the cytoskeleton dynamics central to sperm cell development. Scientists hope elucidation of KATNAL1’s role in spermiogenesis may illuminate previously unknown causes of male infertility or provide a target for non-hormonal male contraceptive strategies.
“It’s an important study,” said Yan Cheng who investigates male contraception at the Population Council in New York and was not involved with the study. Cheng noted that it is the first study to report how loss of a microtubule-regulating enzyme affects sperm maturation and opens ...
