| First Author | Fraser LR | Year | 1999 |
| Journal | Bioessays | Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 304-12 |
| PubMed ID | 10377892 | Mgi Jnum | J:54560 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1336490 | Doi | 10.1002/(SICI)1521-1878(199904)21:4<304::AID-BIES6>3.0.CO;2-H |
| Citation | Fraser LR, et al. (1999) New insights into the t-complex and control of sperm function. Bioessays 21(4):304-12 |
| abstractText | The mouse t-complex, located on chromosome 17, contains genes known to influence male, but not female, fertility. Although some t-complex genes are recessive lethals, t-chromosomes are maintained in the population by transmission ratio distortion. When male mice heterozygous for the t-chromosome mate with wild-type females, most offspring will possess the t-chromosome, indicating a link between t-complex genes and sperm function. Several proteins coded for by t-complex genes have been localised in the sperm flagellum, suggesting roles relating to motility. Another t-complex protein appears able to regulate the adenylyl cyclase/cAMP signal transduction pathway, known to play an important role in capacitation. Defective motility and/or failure to capacitate (switch on) would result in poorly fertile or infertile spermatozoa. Given the existence of human homologues for many genes in the t-complex and the prevalence of male factor infertility, information obtained about the t-complex not only will provide insight into basic biological mechanisms but may be of future clinical relevance as well. |
