In many sexually reproducing organisms, oocytes are fundamentally fertilized with one sperm. However, the mechanism of the polyspermy block, in which the oocyte only fertilizes with one of many sperms and rejects the others, is still largely unknown. Here, we reveal that MARC-3, a membrane-associated RING-CH-type ubiquitin ligase is involved in the fast polyspermy block in Caenorhabditis elegans. This research is expected to answer a part of the fundamental question, “Why does the oocyte (egg) only fertilize with one sperm in animals that are fertilized inside the body?” The study has been published in Nature Communications (Springer Nature) in the UK on January 26, 2024.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44928-6

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