Nature Communications (Oct 2019)
Phosphatidylserine on viable sperm and phagocytic machinery in oocytes regulate mammalian fertilization
Abstract
Izumo and Juno are receptors on sperm and eggs respectively required for fusion, but other factors for sperm-egg fusion are poorly studied. Here, the authors report that phosphatidylserine, found mainly on cells marked for death, is also present on motile sperm, recognized by egg receptors, and is required for sperm-egg fusion.