Taurine deficiency in sperm causes male infertility, study finds

(University of Tsukuba) Sperm cells have a unique shape that allows them to travel. During fertilization, sperm pass through several physiological environments while still maintaining their shape, using poorly understood mechanisms. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba and Cornell University found that male mice lacking cysteine dioxygenase, a protein involved in taurine production, have severely impaired fertility, and that taurine production allows sperm cells to maintain their shape in response to changing water levels in their environment.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news