Discovery May Lead to Birth Control Pills for Men

[Hum]

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have recently discovered a gene that is essential for the development of sperm. Their study, published in the journal PLos Genetics, highlights the gene Katnal1, which causes temporary infertility in male mice when blocked.

In order to identify Katnal1 as a key element in sperm production, the researchers treated a group of mice with a chemical called ENU, which triggers mutations in the DNA. Afterward, they bred the mice to see if any of them became infertile. After establishing a group of impotent mice, they backtracked through genetic mapping to identify which gene had been disrupted by the ENU ? leading them to Katnal1.

?Importantly the random nature of ENU, which causes changes in DNA at random, means we can identify important genes that otherwise we would have had no reason to suspect play a role in male fertility,? said Dr. Lee Smith, a reader in the department of genetic endocrinology at the University of Edinburgh as well as the study?s lead author. ?For example, before this study, no one had any idea Katnal1 was even active in the testis, and as such, Katnal1 would probably not have been identified in any other way.?

Lee and his team further identified that Katnal1 was used to regulate a structure known as microtubules ? parts of sperms that needed for support and the acquisition of nutrients. Breaking down these microtubules inhibits sperms? ability to move throughout the testes during their maturation.

The gene?s discovery not only paves the way for a male contraceptive pill, but could also aid in better understanding cases of male infertility.

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[Dot Matrix]

I know a few guys that need this.

[Hum]

Somehow this seems wrong, and males will be permanently sterile.