Reproductions importance is obvious but our understanding of the process is far from complete. My laboratory is currently studying the proteins secreted by the Fallopian tubes and uterus and the role they play in sperm migration, fertilization and blastocyst implantation. Although it is easy to identify proteins which appear in the lumen of the reproductive tract at different times of the reproductive cycle it is difficult to determine their activity using traditional approaches. We have chosen to identify the functional activity of these proteins which may be so important in the reproductive process by cloning their cDNAs. Sequencing of the cDNAs allows us to rapidly compare them to all other proteins whose sequence and activity is known. With the knowledge of the potential activity of these secreted proteins we can design methods to block their activity and thereby identify their precise role in the reproductive process. In addition, using the recombinant DNA to the protein produced by the Fallopian tubes to produce that protein in abundant amounts, may allow the protein to be used to improve the success rate of in vitro fertilization.
Publications:
RCJaffe@uic.edu or visit his HomePage at http://www.uic.edu/~rcjaffe/