Research has revealed an exciting new discovery regarding the important processes that occur during the fertilization of egg by sperm in mammals. A protein has been identified that performs the essential processes of helping sperm and egg recognize each other so that fertilization can occur. Without this protein interaction, the egg and sperm could not bind together.

The protein found on the surface of the sperm has been named Izumo, a name borrowed from Japanese marriage shrines. This protein then bonds with the protein found on the egg, known as Juno, who shares a name with the fertility goddess of Roman mythology.

Izumo was discovered in 2005 but Juno had remained elusive until this recent discovery. Researchers were able to locate the Juno protein after making an artificial Izumo and testing to see what proteins reacted to it. They then produced mice who lacked the Juno protein and found that they were incapable of conceiving as fertilization could not take place.

It was also determined that once fertilization had taken place, Juno began to disappear and was nearly undetectable after only 40 minutes. It is assumed that this is why the egg is no longer capable of recognizing the presence of other sperm once it has bound with the first.

Researchers are excited about the possible implications of this discovery. Having a better understanding of long-standing mysteries surrounding conception in mammals could lead to better fertilization treatment options, as well as potential development for new contraception methods. New research is currently underway that is focusing on screening women who struggle with infertility to determine of a deficit in Juno proteins can be found. It is possible that genetic screening could diagnose the issue and lead to more efficient fertility treatments that are less expensive and stressful than current treatment options.