Juno : the secret of the egg finally revealed

After a decade of research, a team of researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute has identified Juno, a protein located on the membrane of the egg cell that enables the sperm cell to recognise it. Its presence, and that of Izumo (its counterpart on the sperm cell), is essential for fertilisation. Fusion of the egg and sperm, and subsequent formation of the embryo depend on the interactions of these proteins.

This work, published on Wednesday 16 April in the journal Nature, may contribute to improved treatments for infertility and the development of new contraceptives.

Researchers at Inserm will be pleased to answer any questions you may have about this discovery (see “Investigator contact”).