Cryopreservation is the most efficient method for long-term preservation of mammalian
sperm. However, freeze-thawing procedures may strongly impair the sperm function and …

BACKGROUND Male infertility affects> 20 million men worldwide and represents a major
health concern. Although multifactorial, male infertility has a strong genetic basis which has …

Spermatogenesis defects concern millions of men worldwide, yet the vast majority remains
undiagnosed. Here we report men with primary infertility due to multiple morphological …

MIWI catalytic activity is required for spermatogenesis, indicating that piRNA-guided
cleavage is critical for germ cell development. To identify meiotic piRNA targets, we …

Infertility, defined by the inability of conceiving a child after 1 year is estimated to concern
approximately 50 million couples worldwide. As the male gamete is readily accessible and …

In mammals, sperm–oocyte fusion initiates Ca2+ oscillations leading to a series of events
called oocyte activation, which is the first stage of embryo development. Ca2+ signaling is …

BACKGROUND Infertility affects between 10 and 16% of couples worldwide. Twenty to 30%
of cases of infertility are due to a male factor, 20–35% to a female factor, and 25–40% are …

BACKGROUND Total fertilization failure (TFF) is the failure of all metaphase II oocytes to
fertilize in ART cycles. The phenomenon represents a known cause of infertility, affecting 1 …

In mammals, the sperm activates the development of the egg by triggering a series of
oscillations in the cytosolic-free Ca 2+ concentration (Ca 2+ i). The sperm triggers these …

Spermatozoa are polarized cells with a head and a flagellum joined by the connecting
piece. Head integrity is critical for normal sperm function, and head defects consistently lead …