Objective
Mammalian sperm activate the oocyte at fertilisation by triggering a calcium-mediated pathway via PLCζ, a sperm-specific phospholipase. PLCζ deficiency is linked to human infertility, a condition that affects 1 in 7 couples. While intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can rescue many types of male infertility, 1 – 5% of cases fail due to PLCζ-deficiency. While artificial activating agents are available, such chemicals do not initiate activation in an endogenous manner. Recombinant PLCζ thus represents a safer therapeutic option. However, we do not yet know how PLCζ interacts with oocyte-based factors in order to regulate functionality. Current opinion is that an unidentified protein resides within the ooplasm upon vesicles containing the substrate for PLCζ. Identifying this factor, and optimising the manner in which oocyte activation deficiency (OAD) can be diagnosed and treated, is a key clinical remit. Of equal concern is that the host laboratory showed that clinical treatments, such as cryopreservation, can cause detrimental effect upon PLCζ in human sperm. Consequently, this proposal has two objectives: 1) identify the oocyte-factor that interacts with PLCζ via the use of protein-protein interaction technologies, and 2) evaluate the impact of clinical procedures upon gamete proteins that play a critical role during activation. Research will involve human gametes sourced from the Oxford Fertility Unit, along with murine and bovine animal models. The proposal is targeted to (a) improve our understanding of PLCζ function, (b) establish whether the oocyte-interacting protein represents a novel diagnostic marker for OAD, and (c) develop our understanding of how clinical procedures can influence proteins in human gametes. While the proposal is primarily targeted to human reproductive medicine, results will be equally applicable to animals of economic interest, such as the controlled breeding programmes used for equine and bovine species.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine gynaecology reproductive medicine
- social sciences sociology demography fertility
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF
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Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.