More Than a Simple Lock and Key Mechanism: Unraveling the Intricacies of Sperm-Zona Pellucida Binding

Redgrove, Kate A.; Aitken, Raymond; Nixon, Brett

doi:10.5772/50499

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…This oligosaccharide sequence has been reported as a major contributing element for human sperm‐oocyte binding 22, 23. There are also components on the sperm membrane reported as docking units, including the β1–4 galactosyltransferase 1 (B4GAL‐T1) peripheral protein, which plays a crucial role in human sperm‐oocyte binding 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. To understand the dynamics of SLeX binding to sperm surface, we used B4GAL‐T1 as a model docking/binding unit on the sperm membrane and computed a molecular docking simulation to discover the locations and energetics of binding ( Figure 2 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Novel On‐Chip Method for Differential Extraction of Sperm in Forensic Cases

et al. 2018

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One out of every six American women has been the victim of a sexual assault in their lifetime. However, the DNA casework backlog continues to increase outpacing the nation's capacity since DNA evidence processing in sexual assault casework remains a bottleneck due to laborious and time‐consuming differential extraction of victim's and perpetrator's cells. Additionally, a significant amount (60–90%) of male DNA evidence may be lost with existing procedures. Here, a microfluidic method is developed that selectively captures sperm using a unique oligosaccharide sequence (Sialyl‐LewisX), a major carbohydrate ligand for sperm‐egg binding. This method is validated with forensic mock samples dating back to 2003, resulting in 70–92% sperm capture efficiency and a 60–92% reduction in epithelial fraction. Captured sperm are then lysed on‐chip and sperm DNA is isolated. This method reduces assay‐time from 8 h to 80 min, providing an inexpensive alternative to current differential extraction techniques, accelerating identification of suspects and advancing public safety.

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