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Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University have identified a gene, which they assert causes infertility. They said that, such types of genes send molecular signals used for the ovarian follicle development. This may be a guiding source for learning the fertility related issues in humans.
The scientists used a mouse model to examine the role of Smad-3 in the early stages of follicular growth.
They on careful observation found that, follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH needs a particular gene to function in the body. So they confirmed that, the mice didn’t experience normal ovulation due to the absence of such gene.
Further, the researchers concluded that Smad-3 is an important class of proteins that are essential for follicle development.
"Learning precisely how the FSH receptor is regulated is an important step in understanding the subtle defects in signal transduction that can interfere with follicle development and female fertility and could lead to new types of fertility treatments," Prof Elizabeth McGee said.
These findings have been published in the current issue of 'Biology of Reproduction' journal.
