Sex at Atomic Resolution.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 28622504.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2017.05.043.
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Abstract
Interspecies fertilization is rare, partly due to species separation enforced at the molecular level. In this issue, Raj et al. now reveal the crystal structures of mollusk egg coat protein, VERL, complexed with cognate sperm protein lysin. Given that VERL is structurally similar to mammalian ZP2, the mechanism elucidating species-specific gamete recognition likely exists in mammals.
Medical subject headings
- Egg Proteins
- Receptors, Cell Surface