New genetic variations discovered in swimming behavior of sperm cells
A team of scientists has discovered that the behavior of sperm cells is due, in part, to the individual DNA makeup of these cells, rather than only the genetics of males. These results, which provide a new understanding of the competition among sperm cells to fertilize the egg, have larger implications for the reproductive process.
The study, which centers on the swimming behavior of sperm cells, is the first to establish a direct effect of mutation on sperm behavior and suggests that the development and application of screens based on sperm behavior can improve the quality of the genetics they carry.
“Until now, the predominant view was that this variation in swimming behavior reflected the overall genetics of the male rather than the variable genetics of the individual sperm cells,” explains Richard Borowsky, a professor emeritus in NYU’s Department of Biology and the senior author of the paper, which published on November 11 in the journal Scientific Reports. “This study is the first to demonstrate that genetic differences can directly affect the swimming behavior of sperm cells.”
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