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Manuel Avilés Sánchez, researcher at the UMU, collaborates in the study of a protein related to embryonic death (08/02/2018)

The expert, in cooperation with Dr. Pablo Bermejo Álvarez of the National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA) of Madrid, has managed to inactivate the ZP4 gene, present in the human species, using the rabbit model.

The importance lies in the identification of the biological role of a gene, which supposedly participated in the early stages of fertilization, but which has proved necessary for embryonic survival.

Avilés explains that: "It means that we have found a new marker that could explain some failures in fertilization, for example, why when fertilized in vitro, when transferring it to women, half of the embryos (blastocysts) die."

Therefore, it could explain one of the failures in fertilization of unknown cause.

In particular, his research team addresses the composition of the zona pellucida, the envelope surrounding the ovule.

In the case of the mouse, this extracellular matrix is ​​formed by the proteins ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3, while in the female it also contains the named ZP4 whose function is still unknown.

Bermejo and his group have genetically modified the animal to avoid the presence of said protein.

In this way, they have been able to analyze its biological effect on fertilization and subsequent embryonic development.

"We take care of performing morphological and immunohistochemical studies of optical and electronic microscopy to see how the structure of the zona pellucida is affected," explains the academic.

Beyond performing basic research, the interest of the scientist is focused on answering unknowns such as the low efficiency rate of in vitro fertilization.

"We want to know how the system works, what proteins are in the female genital tract that makes the embryo develop better or what makes the sperm better," insists the teacher.

On the other hand, the work of ZP4 presented by a PhD student of Dr. Pablo Bermejo has received the first place in the congress 'International Embryo Technology Society' (IETS) of Thailand.

Manuel Avilés Sánchez studies fertilization as a principal investigator in the group of 'Morphofunctional Cell and Tissue Integration' of the University of Murcia.

His explorations focus on the ovule, the sperm, the female genital tract and how it can affect embryonic development, all thanks to the use of recombinant proteins.

Source: Universidad de Murcia

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