How rare genetic-code patterns affect male fertility and reproductive behavior
Official title: Regulation of fertility and reproduction by codon usage: a Drosophila model
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11312662 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how uncommon patterns in the genetic code can change protein production in sperm and reproductive brain cells and what that might mean for people with male infertility.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | July 23, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $338,688 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD113543-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11312662 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This work is most relevant to men with unexplained or suspected male-factor infertility and to couples affected by inability to achieve pregnancy, especially those willing to provide genetic or tissue samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
People whose infertility is clearly due to non-germ-cell causes such as structural issues, infections, or strictly female reproductive conditions are less likely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers use fruit flies alongside comparisons to human gene data to see how rarely used codons alter protein production in testis cells and in neurons that control mating. They change codons and genes in flies and run genetic screens to find proteins (including Not3 and Orb2) that control this rare-codon dependent expression. The team measures effects on sperm development and mating behavior to link molecular changes to fertility outcomes. Findings are compared to human testis data to identify which mechanisms could be relevant to people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal new molecular causes of male infertility and point to potential diagnostic markers or targets for future therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown similar codon-usage patterns in flies and human testis tissue, but applying these findings to fertility and reproductive behavior is a newer direction with limited prior clinical translation.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fox, Donald T. — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Fox, Donald T.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.