What is the relationship between nutrients used by cells in the process of reproduction? The question seems simple, but science is still looking for answers. One thing is already known: “There is a direct link between nutrition and fertility.” Now, how nutrients function in human physiology, how they develop and influence the functioning of organs that are involved in the process of reproduction is still unknown. But this is exactly what the Portuguese scientist Zita Santos, a 38-year-old biologist, proposes to investigate, having recently received a “start-up” grant from the European Research Council, in the amount of 1.5 million euros, to set up her own laboratory and develop her activity.
Embarking on this journey, which will begin in January 2023 at the Joao Lobo Antunes Institute of Molecular Medicine (iMM), in Lisbon, Zeta Santos, who until now is a postdoctoral researcher at the Champalimaud Foundation, knows that the journey will be long. “I imagine that in the next five years, still in the research scope with fruit flies, we will be able to identify and answer the first questions we asked: what cellular processes are affected by different nutrients and what are the molecules produced by the germline that carry the signal to the brain to improve reproduction.” ?”, he explains to DN. And only from here will the research be able to move to mice and then to humans.
Time is indefinable at this point, says the Portuguese scientist, “It might take ten years until we figure something out.” The expectation, without wanting to create false enthusiasm, is that we will be able to reveal a little about the working process of nutrients in the human organism and that the information collected will allow “optimally optimizing fertilization treatments”. in the laboratory (IVF), through manipulation of nutrients or through dietary or nutritional therapies,” he says.
Zeta Santos, who describes herself as someone who has always been curious, “since I was a little girl”, and who, therefore, knew early on that “this would lead me to the path of science and research”, chose Biology as her basic training. He graduated from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and, once the course was completed, decided to pursue a PhD in the field of cell biology, and in the field of fertility, at the Instituto Gulbenkian da Ciencia, in Oeiras.
As he explains, “I’ve always found it very interesting to study cellular processes, but I’m always aware of why they occur in the organism.” During his doctoral period, he wanted to know more about male fertility, because, he says, “there are structures inside the cells that are important for the formation of sperm flagella, when there is a problem in the formation of these structures, the sperm becomes immobile and cannot reach the egg and this is what I tried to study it, what are the molecular processes – or rather what are the ‘bricks’ or elements needed to build the structure, which is, in its depths, this scourge”. Now, you will focus on female fertility.
It is already known that more protein, more efficiency in reproduction
But it is already known that there is a direct link between nutrition and fertility, that is, between the amount of protein an organism takes in and reproductive production (the number of eggs an animal produces). The researcher explains that this field has already been explored by other laboratories, in mice and humans, with the conclusions referring to the fact that “the amount of protein ingested is very important for reproductive efficiency, although it is not yet known in which process it occurs, Whether it was during ovulation or not.” This relates to protein, but what happens to nutrients with sugars is not yet known. And that’s what you want to know.
During my PhD, “my research focused a lot on cell biology, but I was most interested in the relationship between what happens in the cell and how it gets transmitted from there to the whole organism.” Zeta Santos says she wants to understand “how diets or nutrients that contain sugars – because, as with proteins, sugars are also essential in nutrition, and it’s all a matter of balance – are used by cells, so that they can perform their functions and produce eggs in sufficient quantity and quality.” To develop the process of reproduction.
In other words, “I want to know how the functions that the cells perform during oocyte generation occur and affect the physiology of the animal, because at this point we will be working with fruit flies,” he continued, in an enthusiastic way: “I want to know how the oocytes tell the brain that the animal should go on.” In taking a certain amount of nutrients so that the organs can talk better with each other and the organism can reproduce.”
The Portuguese researcher is sitting at a table in one of the rooms at the iMM telling us about her journey here and what she hopes to achieve, assuming that the award she has now received from the European Research Council “is very prestigious and will allow me to start my own lab as an independent researcher that will allow me to do my own experiments, put my ideas into practice.” And my questions into action, and the creation of my own research team.” What will come, you cannot predict, but science and life are like that. For now, he will start from a model he devised with his PhD research, which is, in essence, “a model that will allow us to explore precisely the questions we want — how do nutrients work?; where do they act?; what cellular functions do they need and how are those functions regulated?” And what is its effect on fertility?
Research at this point will focus on fruit flies
As he says, “We start with a simple model and then move to other levels of complexity.” The basis of the investigation, at this point, centers on “the fruit fly. People find it strange, even to ask why such a small insect exists, but 60% of the genes in the fruit fly are also present in the genes of humans, with the advantage of being easy to manipulate, Whether in terms of diet, genetics or neurons. So it’s an animal that has many advantages from an experimental point of view,” he explains.
In addition to specifying that it “will begin with female fertility, with females, because the production of female eggs, which underlie female fertility, is an exceptional process for studying these complex interactions, because it requires high and balanced nutrition and the functioning of multiple organs controlled by hormones.”
“Ovogenesis is an extraordinary display of the communication and function of the organism as a whole. It’s like an orchestra. Musicians, just like the organs in our body, all come together to play the same tune. The ultimate goal, musicians need tools, just as cells need nutrients. They must be These instruments are perfectly balanced and harmonious,” says Zeta Santos.
On the one hand, because metabolic processes are highly conserved in all organisms, this work will allow us to understand the general mechanisms by which nutrition affects animal functions. On the other hand, metabolic imbalances, including obesity and diabetes, are associated with many human conditions, including female infertility.”
The important thing, he believes, is that “this work can help reveal possible new therapeutic strategies to combat this condition,” female infertility. This will be followed by research into male fertility.
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