A Gene for Baby Makin’

Scientists locate a gene that both regulates and blocks ovulation

By Holly Otterbein Posted 07.17.2008 at 5:08 pm 4 Comments

Does a Gene Regulate the Outcome? iStockphoto

Birth control may have revolutionized women’s lives, but it’s still a nuisance to take. The pill is 98 percent effective only if you (or your lady friend) takes it every day, at exactly the same time. Complete this task correctly, and the estrogen could give you nausea, headaches and moodiness. Thankfully, researchers at the University of Montreal and Louis Pasteur University may have found a more pleasant alternative.

The scientists genetically modified a mouse so that its Lrh1 gene—a gene that wasn’t well understood until now—was blocked inside its ovary. The Lrh1-less mouse didn’t ovulate, which means the gene could be manipulated to develop contraceptives with fewer side effects. (Current contraceptives rely on steroids, which are responsible for those gnarly reactions.) Since Lrh1 controls several mechanisms of ovulation, scientists think the gene may affect fertilization, too. If so, the discovery would have major ramifications for treating infertility, something that affects 2.1 million married couples in the United States alone.

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4 Comments

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jellybean

07/17/08 at 8:37 pm

how is this genetic mutation achieved, and is it reversible?

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dakvarn

07/18/08 at 9:18 am

it will stop moodiness? THANK GOD! I am so sick of dealing with my co-workers feminine problems

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joshweb

07/21/08 at 12:06 pm

Using this concept we could modify the gene for this so that it would only turn on and make the protein when the woman takes a specific drug that won't have any side effects (because the only affect it would have on any human body is if it had this modified gene, and then would only turn it on). So, you would have women who are sterile by default, and would only ovulate and be able to get pregnant when taking this drug. Effectiveness would be closer to 99.999% based on this system. I'm sure this could be accomplished for men, also. The ethics of this are, of course, questionable, and another thing to be argued, altogether, but maybe it would cut down on the huge numbers of babies being born to people who have no business procreating. You know who I mean.

Josh
NCSU
Biochemistry

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socrfan

07/26/08 at 9:55 am

I am constantly amazed at how we are trying to get infertle people pregnant. We are struggling with a population of nearly 7 billion and the problems it's creating for our planet and we want to bring more into the world? The United Nations issued a statement that the planet cannot sustain the present population growth. We never learn.