Cysteine rich secretory proteins (Crisp) are ion channel regulators with essential roles in male fertility

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/436705

Funding Status
Closed

Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the .

Funded Activity Summary

Male infertility affects 1 in 20 Australian men and for the majority of other men, contraception is an issue at some point in their lives. Despite this, relatively little is known about the processes of sperm production and fertilization. As such, there is an urgent need for futher research if we are to hope to develop diagnostics, targeted therapeutics and to take advantage of the growing awareness by pharmaceutical companies of the market for male gamete based contraceptives. The cysteine rich secretory proteins (Crisps) are a group of proteins which show a remarkable bias to the male reproductive tract. All four are incorporated into sperm. Recently published data from us indicates that they have the ability to regulated calcium flow in sperm and as such sperm activity. The aim of the current proposal is to explore the biological relevance of one domain of Crisp proteins using animal models, in vitro sperm tests and through an analysis of ion flux and phosphorylation status under conditions of altered Crisp-1 and -2 content. The data generated from this project will make a significant contribution to the development of novel male gamete based contraceptives for use by either men or women. In addition, through the attainment of a greater understanding of sperm development and function, we will be able to more precisely define types of infertility, thus allowing for the development of more targeted therapies. The development of Crisp agonists or antagonists may also be of value in the treatment of other cilia disorders including primary cilia dykinesia and cystic fibrosis.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2007

End Date: 01-01-2009

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $531,696.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Reproduction

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

calcium channels | contraception in the male | etiology of defects in sperm function | ion channels | motility | reproductive biology | reproductive function and fertility control | sperm function testing | spermatogenesis

Related Links