The role of the MHC for fertilisation and infertility from a fish perspective (B05)

• Subject Area: Reproductive Medicine, Urology
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 549467913

The interaction of sperm and egg and, thus, the fertilisation process seems to involve the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which is crucial for the initiation of the adaptive immune response. Using two fish models, the relevance of optimal individual MHC diversity for spermatogenesis, sperm function, and sperm-egg interaction will be experimentally tested. This approach is combined with the analysis of human genomic datasets. Thereby, insights on the role of MHC in the fertilisation process and of genetic variants affecting the function of the complex in male infertility will be gained.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1748: Principles of Reproduction – Unravelling the Molecular Mechanisms of Male Infertility
• Applicant Institution: Universität Münster
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Joachim Kurtz; Dr. Robert Peuß