Sperm and egg fusion is older than sexual reproduction itself - study
The discovery that ancient creatures like archaea can also contain fusexin proteins raises the possibility that the Fsx1 protein is the ancestral version from which fusogens derived.
An illustration by Prof. Luca Jovine of the Karolinska Institute shows the Fsx1 protein structure (on the right) deciphered by the researchers, belonging to an archaeon from a hyper-saline environment (represented by salt on the left).(photo credit: PROF. LUCA JOVINE/KAROLINSKA INSTITUTE)ByJUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICHUpdated:
