研究发现哺乳动物产生精子所必需的蛋白质

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日本研究人员最近在动物实验中发现了哺乳动物原始生殖细胞分化成精子时所必需的蛋白质，这项成果有助于开发针对无精子症等不孕症的疗法。

原始生殖细胞既可分化成精子，也可分化成卵子，生殖细胞性别的决定在动物发育的胎儿期才完成。在胎儿期，将来发育成卵子的生殖细胞发生减数分裂，而将来发育为精子的生殖细胞则停止细胞分裂。

日本国立遗传学研究所教授相贺裕美子等研究人员利用实验鼠研究发现，蛋白质“Nanos2”只在精子细胞中出现。不能合成这种蛋白质的实验鼠，原本该分化成精子的生殖细胞开始减数分裂，精子不能正常形成，如果强制“Nanos2”蛋白质在本该发育成卵子的生殖细胞中发挥作用，这些生殖细胞就会雄性化。

研究人员说，通常在胎儿期，“Nanos2”蛋白质被送入生殖细胞，生殖细胞就形成精子。而无精子症很可能是这种机制不能顺利进行造成的。

这项研究成果已经刊登在最新一期美国《科学》杂志上。
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Lasker 奖颁给心脏阀门开拓者
Lasker Award to Heart Valve Pioneers
Richard P. Lifton1,

1 Departments of Genetics and Internal Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, 06536 USA

Corresponding author
Richard P. Lifton
richard.lifton@yale.edu

This year, the Lasker Foundation recognizes Albert Starr and Alain Carpentier for their development of effective treatments for valvular heart disease. Their innovative work is a model of interdisciplinary basic and clinical research and has benefited millions of people.

On September 28, 2007, the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research will be conferred on Albert Starr of the Providence Heart and Vascular Institute, Providence Health System, and the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon and Alain Carpentier of the H魀ital European Georges Pompidou in Paris, France. They are recognized for developing effective treatments for valvular heart disease, interventions that save lives and dramatically improve the quality of life of nearly half a million patients annually.