科学家发现男士避孕关键基因

近日，美国华盛顿州立大学（Washington State University）的研究人员发现了一种仅在各种哺乳动物（包括人类）睾丸中表达的基因Arrdc5。当小鼠被敲除该基因后，精子数量，运动和形状均受到影响，从而导致不育。这一发现为开发男性避孕药物提供了新的方向。

🤔️小作业：

A. The need for male contraception options

B. Ways to improve female birth control

C. The dangers of hormonal contraception

D. The effects of a gene mutation in mice

2. What makes Arrdc5 stand out from other potential drug targets?

A. It is found only in testicular tissue.

B. It regulates testosterone production.

C. It is not expressed in other mammalian species.

D. It is involved in multiple bodily functions.

3. What is the advantage of a non-hormonal contraceptive targeting the Arrdc5 gene?

A. It does not interfere with testosterone production.

B. It is more effective than hormonal contraceptives.

C. It has fewer side effects than surgical options.

D. It can be used by both men and women.

A. It could lead to new treatments for infertility in humans.

B. It could improve population control in livestock.

C. It could result in more effective female birth control options.

D. It could have far-ranging impacts on human health.

无注释原文：

Male Contraception Could Be Edging Closer Thanks To New Genetic Discovery

From: IFLScience

A gene that's only expressed in the testicles of various mammals, including humans, could be the key to an effective, reversible, non-hormonal form of contraception for men. A new study details how manipulating the Arrdc5 gene in mice led to infertility in males, and scientists say that a drug targeting this gene could be a sorely needed solution to the massive disparity between male and female contraceptive options.

Few scientific questions have the same power to capture our interest and spark debate as the promise of a male contraceptive drug. The idea has been years in the making, but progress has been frustratingly slow. In the meantime, the burden of contraceptive planning overwhelmingly falls on the shoulders of women. 

But not all women have access to a form of birth control that is suitable for them, and the United Nations estimates that almost half of all pregnancies worldwide are unplanned – this, against a backdrop of ever more barriers to accessing abortion and prenatal healthcare across the globe, thrown into particularly stark relief by the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the US.

New options for contraceptives targeted at the male reproductive system would therefore be hugely welcome. Researchers from Washington State University recently identified a gene, called Arrdc5, which could prove to be a potent target in the development of new birth control drugs.

“The study identifies this gene for the first time as being expressed only in testicular tissue, nowhere else in the body, and it's expressed by multiple mammalian species,” said senior author Jon Oatley in a statement. This is what makes Arrdc5 stand out from other potential drug targets that have previously been found.

The researchers knocked out the Arrdc5 gene in mice to investigate the effects this would have on their fertility. The male mice lacking the gene produced 28 percent less sperm and the swimmers they did produce had lower motility, moving 2.8 times slower than usual. Not only that, 98 percent of the sperm had abnormalities in their heads and mid-pieces, rendering them unable to fertilize an egg.

The name for this collection of irregularities in sperm is oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT), and it's a common reason for infertility in humans. Up to now, the causes of this condition have not been clear, but the authors write that their findings around the Arrdc5 gene raise “the intriguing possibility that deleterious mutations could be underlying causes of fertility defects.”

As to potentially targeting the gene with a birth control drug, a huge advantage would be the lack of hormonal involvement. Testosterone plays many important roles in the male body beyond the reproductive system, so achieving a contraceptive effect without disrupting testosterone would be ideal. The authors also highlighted that it should be easy to engineer any such new drug to be reversible.

“You don't want to wipe out the ability to ever make sperm – just stop the sperm that are being made from being made correctly,” Oatley explained. “Then, in theory, you could remove the drug and the sperm would start being built normally again.”

Work based on these initial findings is already underway, with Oatley and first author Mariana Giassetti having filed a provisional patent for the development of a contraceptive based on their discovery. Since the Arrdc5 gene is found in many species, this research could have broader implications, such as for population control in livestock; but for now, the team has their sights firmly set on the human side of things.

“Right now, we don't really have anything on the male side for contraception other than surgery,” said Oatley. “If we can develop this discovery into a solution for contraception, it could have far-ranging impacts.”

- ◆ -

注：中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Male Contraception Could Be Edging Closer Thanks To New Genetic Discovery

From: IFLScience

A gene that's only expressed in the testicles of various mammals, including humans, could be the key to an effective, reversible, non-hormonal form of contraception for men. A new study details how manipulating the Arrdc5 gene in mice led to infertility in males, and scientists say that a drug targeting this gene could be a sorely needed solution to the massive disparity between male and female contraceptive options.

一种仅在各种哺乳动物（包括人类）睾丸中表达的基因可能是男性有效、可逆、非激素避孕形式的关键。一项新研究详细介绍了如何控制小鼠的Arrdc5基因导致雄性不育，科学家们表示，将该基因作为靶点的药物可能是缓解男性和女性避孕方法巨大差异迫切需要的解决方案。

gene /dʒiːn/ 表示“基因”，英文解释为“a part of the DNA in a cell that controls the physical development, behaviour, etc. of an individual plant or animal and is passed on from its parents”

testicle /ˈtes.tɪ.kəl/ 表示“睾丸”，英文解释为“either of the two round male sex organs that produce sperm and are contained in the scrotum (= bag of skin) below and behind the penis”

mammal /ˈmæm.əl/ 表示“哺乳动物”，英文解释为“any animal of which the female feeds her young on milk from her own body. Most mammals give birth to live young, not eggs.”举个🌰：Humans, dogs, elephants, and dolphins are all mammals, but birds, fish, and crocodiles are not. 人、狗、大象和海豚都是哺乳动物，而鸟、鱼和鳄鱼则不是。

reversible /rɪˈvɜː.sə.bəl/ 表示“可翻转的；可逆的”，英文解释为“If something is reversible, it can be changed back to what it was before.”举个🌰：The surgery is not reversible. 这一手术不可逆转。

hormonal /hɔːˈməʊ.nəl/ 表示“和激素有关的”，英文解释为“relating to hormones”如：a hormonal imbalance 激素失调。

contraception /ˌkɑːn.trəˈsep.ʃən/ 表示“避孕（法）；节育（法）”，英文解释为“(the use of) any of various methods intended to prevent a woman becoming pregnant”举个🌰：They offer impartial advice on contraception. 他们提供公正客观的避孕建议。

1）表示“操纵，控制”，英文解释为“to control something or someone to your advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly”举个🌰：Throughout her career she has very successfully manipulated the media. 她在整个职业生涯中非常成功地控制了媒体。

2）表示“（用手）操纵，控制”，英文解释为“to control something using the hands”举个🌰：The wheelchair is designed so that it is easy to manipulate. 轮椅设计得很容易用手控制。

类似的还有一个词rig.

📍rig表示“（采取不正当的手段）操纵；对…做手脚”，英文解释为“to arrange dishonestly for the result of something, for example an election, to be changed”举个🌰：He said the election had been rigged. 他说选举被人操纵了。

📍此前，在故意改低女生成绩 东京医科大学被曝操控男女录取比例一文中，纽约时报的标题就用了rig这个词：Japanese Medical School Accused of Rigging Admissions to Keep Women Out. 操纵录取结果 rig admissions.

表示“不孕症；不肥沃，贫瘠”，英文解释为“Infertility is a disease of the male or female reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.”

sorely /ˈsɔː.li/ 表示“极其；非常”，英文解释为“extremely; very much”举个🌰：I was sorely tempted to say exactly what I thought of his offer. 我真想如实说说我对他的提议的看法。

disparity /dɪˈspærɪtɪ/表示“（尤指不公正的）不同，差异”，英文解释为“a difference between two or more things, especially an unfair one”，如：a disparity between the rates of pay for men and women 男性与女性在工资水平上的差异。

相反的：

📍parity表示“（尤指薪金、权利或权力的）相同，相等，同等”，英文解释为“the state of being equal, especially having equal pay, rights, or power”举个🌰：Women workers are demanding parity with their male colleagues. 女职工在要求与男同事享有同等的待遇。

还可以指两个不同国家的货币单位的“平价，等价”(equality between the units of money from two diffe-rent countries）；

📍2019年「妇女节」联合国秘书长发表讲话时，就提到：We now have gender parity among those who lead our teams around the world, and the highest-ever numbers of women in senior management. 目前在世界各地，我们已在许多团队的领导层中实现性别均等，高级管理层中的妇女人数比以往任何时候都多。

📍在2018年政府工作报告中，居民收入增长和经济增长基本同步；就处理为：Basic parity in personal income growth and economic growth.

contraceptive /ˌkɑːntrəˈseptɪv/ 表示“避孕用具；避孕药”，英文解释为“any of various devices or drugs intended to prevent pregnancy”如：oral contraceptive 口服避孕药。

Few scientific questions have the same power to capture our interest and spark debate as the promise of a male contraceptive drug. The idea has been years in the making, but progress has been frustratingly slow. In the meantime, the burden of contraceptive planning overwhelmingly falls on the shoulders of women.

很少有科学问题像男性避孕药的前景一样吸引人们的兴趣并引发争论。这个想法已经酝酿多年，但进展缓慢。与此同时，避孕计划的重负主要落在了女性肩上。

spark表示“引发”，英文解释为“If one thing sparks another, the first thing cause the second thing to start happening.”举个🌰：My teacher organized a unit on computer science that really sparked my interest. 我的老师编排了一个关于计算机科学的单元，它真正激发了我的兴趣。

此前，《后浪》和「青年」文中标题中就用到：Bilibili's May 4th Youth Day video sparks discussion on social media 引发热议。

类似的还有：

📍stir表示“激发，激起（强烈的感情）；引起（强烈的反应）”，英文解释为“to make someone have a strong feeling or reaction”，举个🌰：The poem succeeds in stirring the imagination. 这首诗能够激发起想象力。

📍provoke也表示“激起，引起”，英文解释为“to cause a reaction or feeling, especially a sudden one”，如：provoke debate/discussion 激起辩论/讨论。

📍spur 鼓动；激励；鞭策；刺激；鼓舞”，英文解释为“If one thing spurs you to do another, it encourages you to do it.”举个🌰：It's the money that spurs these fishermen to risk a long ocean journey in their flimsy boats. 是金钱驱使这些渔民驾驶单薄的小船冒险出海远航。

🎬电影《龙之心3：巫师的诅咒》（Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse）中的台词提到：To spur the clans to war. 激励部族发起战争。

📍trigger表示“发动；引起；触发”，英文解释为“to make sth happen suddenly”举个🌰：Nuts can trigger off a violent allergic reaction. 坚果可以引起严重的过敏反应。

表示“（花某一段时间）完成，制造成，制作成”，英文解释为“If something was a period of time in the making, it took that amount of time to make.”举个🌰：The film was several years in the making. 这部电影花了几年的时间才制作完成。

overwhelmingly /ˌoʊvərˈwelmɪŋli/ 表示“压倒性地；不可抵抗地”，英文解释为“strongly or completely; in an overwhelming way”举个🌰：The team were overwhelmingly defeated in yesterday's game. 在昨天的比赛中这支球队遭遇了惨败。

But not all women have access to a form of birth control that is suitable for them, and the United Nations estimates that almost half of all pregnancies worldwide are unplanned – this, against a backdrop of ever more barriers to accessing abortion and prenatal healthcare across the globe, thrown into particularly stark relief by the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the US.

但并不是所有女性都可以获得适合自己的避孕方式，联合国估计全球近一半的怀孕是意外的——这发生在全球堕胎和产前保健越来越困难的大背景下，美国推翻罗伊诉韦德案让这一点变得尤为明显。

1）表示“（舞台的）背景幕布”，英文解释为“a painted piece of cloth that is hung behind the stage in a theatre as part of the scenery”。

2）表示“事件的背景”，英文解释为“The backdrop to an event is the general situation in which it happens.”举个🌰：The election will take place against a backdrop of increasing instability. 选举的背景是逐渐不稳的局势。

3）表示“背景”，英文解释为“the view behind something”举个🌰：The mountains form a dramatic backdrop to the little village. 群山如画，映衬着小山村。

表示“（通常指通过手术进行的）堕胎，人工流产”，英文解释为“If a woman has an abortion, she ends her pregnancy deliberately so that the baby is not born alive.”举个🌰：He and his girlfriend had been going out together for a year when she had an abortion. 他的女友流产时，他和她已经交往了一年时间。

prenatal /ˌpriːˈneɪ.təl/ 表示“产前的”，英文解释为“relating to the medical care given to pregnant women before their babies are born”如：prenatal care/classes 产前保健/学习班。

1）表示“（对比）明显的，鲜明的”，英文解释为“If two things are in stark contrast to one another, they are very different from each other in a way that is very obvious.”如：stark differences 鲜明的区别，举个🌰：The good weather was in stark contrast to the storms of previous weeks. 这时的好天气和前几个星期的暴风雨形成鲜明的对比。

2）表示“严酷的；赤裸裸的；真实而无法回避的”，英文解释为“unpleasant; real, and impossible to avoid”。

relief  1）表示“（不快过后的）宽慰，宽心，轻松，解脱”，英文解释为“a feeling of happiness that something unpleasant has not happened or has ended”

2）表示“救济；救济品；救济金”，英文解释为“food, money, or services that provide help for people in need”如：an international relief operation 国际救援行动。

3）熟词僻义，表示“浮雕；浮雕法”，英文解释为“a method of raising shapes above a flat surface so that they appear to stand out slightly from it”举个🌰：Coins have pictures on them in relief. 硬币上面有浮雕图案。

📍或者指“（光和色彩等产生的）醒目效果；醒目；光彩夺目；突出的品质；令人注目的特征”，英文解释为“the effect of colours, light, etc. that makes an object more noticeable than others around it; the quality of a particular situation, problem, etc. that makes it more noticeable than before”举个🌰：The snow-capped mountain stood out in sharp relief against the blue sky. 白雪覆盖的高山在蓝天的映衬下格外醒目。Their differences have been thrown into sharp relief by the present crisis. 目前的危机使得他们的分歧更加引人注目。

📍stand (out) in relief 表示“非常突出；与周围形成鲜明的反差；醒目”，英文解释为“to appear or show very clearly and obviously”举个🌰：The mountain stood out in sharp relief against the evening sky. 高山在傍晚的天空映衬下分外醒目。

表示“（使）翻倒，（使）倾覆；打翻”，英文解释为“if you overturn something, or if it overturns, it turns upside down or falls over on its side”举个🌰：His conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal. 他的有罪裁决被上诉法院推翻了。

📺英剧《唐顿庄园》（Downton Abbey）第三季中的台词提到：Even then, would we have enough to overturn the verdict? 即使拿到证词，就真能推翻判决吗？

New options for contraceptives targeted at the male reproductive system would therefore be hugely welcome. Researchers from Washington State University recently identified a gene, called Arrdc5, which could prove to be a potent target in the development of new birth control drugs.

因此，针对男性生殖系统的新避孕措施将受到极大的欢迎。华盛顿州立大学的研究人员最近发现了一种名为Arrdc5的基因，该基因可能是开发新型避孕药物的有效靶点。

表示“生殖；生育；繁殖”，英文解释为“relating to the process of reproduction”。

potent /ˈpəʊtənt/ 表示“强有力的，强大的；有效力的”，英文解释为“very powerful, forceful, or effective”举个🌰：This is a very potent drug and can have unpleasant side-effects. 该药效力很强，副作用也不小。

“The study identifies this gene for the first time as being expressed only in testicular tissue, nowhere else in the body, and it's expressed by multiple mammalian species,” said senior author Jon Oatley in a statement. This is what makes Arrdc5 stand out from other potential drug targets that have previously been found.

资深作者乔恩·奥特利（Jon Oatley）在一份声明中表示：“这项研究首次确定该基因仅在睾丸组织中表达，而在身体的其他地方都未表达，并且在多种哺乳动物物种中表达。”这就是Arrdc5从此前发现的其他潜在药物靶点中脱颖而出的原因。

The researchers knocked out the Arrdc5 gene in mice to investigate the effects this would have on their fertility. The male mice lacking the gene produced 28 percent less sperm and the swimmers they did produce had lower motility, moving 2.8 times slower than usual. Not only that, 98 percent of the sperm had abnormalities in their heads and mid-pieces, rendering them unable to fertilize an egg.

研究人员敲除了小鼠的Arrdc5基因，以研究这对小鼠生育能力的影响。缺少该基因的雄性小鼠产生的精子减少了28%，，并且它们所产生的精子能动性较差，比通常慢2.8倍。不仅如此，98%的精子头部和中部存在异常，无法使卵子受精。

motility /məʊˈtil.iˈtiː/ 表示“运动性；机动性”，英文解释为“the ability of plants, organisms, and very small forms of of life to be able to move by themselves”如：a motility test 机动性测试。

abnormality /ˌæb.nɔːrˈmæl.ə.t̬i/ 表示“（通常指身体的）反常；异常；变态；紊乱”，英文解释为“something abnormal, usually in the body”如：genetic/congenital abnormalities 遗传变异/先天畸形。

1）此前，在经济学人翻译的出路在哪里？这篇文章中出现过，render表示“翻译，把...译成...”，通常用法为render sth into English/Russian/Chinese etc，将sth译成英语/俄语/汉语等，举个🌰：She is rendering the book into English from French. 她正在把这本书从法语译成英语。

2）表示“（以某种方式）表达；表现”，英文解释为“to express or present something in a particular way”，如：a sculpture rendered in bronze 一尊青铜雕像；

3）表示“使成为；使变得；使处于某种状态”，英文解释为to cause someone or something to be in a particular state，举个🌰：His rudeness rendered me speechless. 他的粗暴无礼让我无言以对。

4）还可以指“给予，提供”，英文解释为to give something to someone or do something, because it is your duty or because someone expects you to，如：an obligation to render assistance to those in need 为有困难的人提供援助的义务，举个🌰：We see that freight railroads make good profits while rendering excellent service. 我们看到铁路货运公司在提供优质服务的同时也赢得了丰厚的利润。

5）还还还可以表示“粉刷；给（墙壁）抹灰（或水泥）”，英文解释为to put a first layer of plaster or cement on a wall.

fertilize /ˈfɜː.tɪ.laɪz/ 1）表示“使受精；使受孕；使受粉”，英文解释为“to cause an egg or seed to start to develop into a new young animal or plant by joining it with a male cell”

2）表示“施肥”，英文解释为“to spread a natural or chemical substance on land or plants, in order to make the plants grow well”

The name for this collection of irregularities in sperm is oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT), and it's a common reason for infertility in humans. Up to now, the causes of this condition have not been clear, but the authors write that their findings around the Arrdc5 gene raise “the intriguing possibility that deleterious mutations could be underlying causes of fertility defects.”

这类精子异常被称为少弱畸精症（OAT），是人类不孕不育的常见原因之一。迄今为止，该病症的原因尚不清楚，但作者写道，他们对Arrdc5基因的发现揭示了“一个新奇的可能性，即有害突变可能是生育缺陷的潜在原因。”

intriguing /ɪnˈtriː.ɡɪŋ/ 表示“非常有趣的；引人入胜的；神秘的”，英文解释为“very interesting because of being unusual or mysterious”如：an intriguing possibility/question 极具吸引力的可能性/问题。

deleterious 表示“有害的；造成伤害的；损害的”，英文解释为“Something that has a deleterious effect on something has a harmful effect on it.”

表示“（生物物种的）变异，突变”，英文解释为“a process in which the genetic material of a person, a plant or an animal changes in structure when it is passed on to children, etc., causing different physical characteristics to develop; a change of this kind”如：cells affected by mutation 受到突变影响的细胞。

1）表示“暗含的；深层的；潜在的”，英文解释为“real but not immediately obvious”举个🌰：And what might be the underlying significance of these supposedly random acts? 这些看似偶然的行为，其暗含的意义可能是什么呢？

2）表示“以…为基础的”，英文解释为“used to describe something on which something else is based”举个🌰：The price of the investment fell below the value of the underlying assets. 这一投资项目的价格已经跌至低于标的资产价值。

As to potentially targeting the gene with a birth control drug, a huge advantage would be the lack of hormonal involvement. Testosterone plays many important roles in the male body beyond the reproductive system, so achieving a contraceptive effect without disrupting testosterone would be ideal. The authors also highlighted that it should be easy to engineer any such new drug to be reversible.

至于将该基因作为避孕药物潜在靶点，一个巨大的优势是不需要激素的介入。睾酮在男性身体中除了生殖系统外还扮演着许多重要角色，因此理想的情况是不破坏睾酮而实现避孕效果。作者还强调，应该很容易将任何此类新药设计成可逆转的。

testosterone /teˈstɑːstəroʊn/ 表示“睾丸素；睾酮”，英文解释为“a male hormone that causes a stage of growth in older boys and development of their sexual organs”。

作动词，表示“使引起注意，强调”，英文解释为“to attract attention to or emphasize something important”举个🌰：The report highlights the need for improved safety. 那份报告强调了加大安全力度的重要性。

作名词，表示“最精彩的部分”，英文解释为“the best or most exciting, entertaining, or interesting part of something”举个🌰：Highlights of the match will be shown after the news. 比赛的精彩部分将在新闻之后播出。

“You don't want to wipe out the ability to ever make sperm – just stop the sperm that are being made from being made correctly,” Oatley explained. “Then, in theory, you could remove the drug and the sperm would start being built normally again.”

“你不想消灭制造精子的能力——只要阻止正在制造的精子被正确制造出来就行了，”奥特利解释说。“然后，理论上，你可以停用药物，精子制造就会恢复正常。”

表示“摧毁；使灭绝”，英文解释为“To wipe out something such as a place or a group of people or animals means to destroy them completely.”举个🌰：Experts say if the island is not protected, the spill could wipe out the gulf's turtle population. 专家们说如果那座小岛得不到保护，此次泄露有可能使该海湾地区的海龟灭绝。

Work based on these initial findings is already underway, with Oatley and first author Mariana Giassetti having filed a provisional patent for the development of a contraceptive based on their discovery. Since the Arrdc5 gene is found in many species, this research could have broader implications, such as for population control in livestock; but for now, the team has their sights firmly set on the human side of things.

基于这些初步发现的工作已经在进行中，奥特利和第一作者马里亚纳·贾西蒂（Mariana Giassetti）基于他们的发现申请了避孕药物开发的临时专利。由于Arrdc5基因在许多物种中都有，这项研究可能具有更广泛的意义，比如牲畜种群控制；但目前，该团队将目光牢牢锁定在人类避孕上。

表示“提起（诉讼）；提出（申请）；送交（备案）”，英文解释为“to present sth so that it can be officially recorded and dealt with”如：to file for divorce 提交离婚申请书，to file a claim/complaint/petition/lawsuit 提出索赔/申诉；呈交诉状；提起诉讼。

形容词provisional，表示“临时的，暂时的，暂定的”，英文解释为“likely or able to be changed in the future”副词provisionally，举个🌰：We accept provisional bookings by phone. 我们接受电话临时预约。

可以作名词，也可以作动词表示“申请专利”，英文解释为“to get the official legal right to make or sell an invention”举个🌰：If you don't patent your invention, other people may make all the profit out of it. 如果你不为你的发明申请专利权，其他人就会从中渔利。

1）表示“可能的影响（或作用、结果）”，英文解释为“a possible effect or result of an action or a decision”举个🌰：The development of the site will have implications for the surrounding countryside. 这个地点的开发将会影响周围的乡村。

2）表示“含意；暗指，暗示”，英文解释为“an occasion when you seem to suggest something without saying it directly”举个🌰：From what she said, the implication was that they were splitting up. 她的话中暗示他们将要分手。

livestock /ˈlaɪv.stɒk/ 表示“牲畜；家畜；家禽”，英文解释为“animals and birds that are kept on a farm, such as cows, sheep, or chickens”

“Right now, we don't really have anything on the male side for contraception other than surgery,” said Oatley. “If we can develop this discovery into a solution for contraception, it could have far-ranging impacts.”

“现在，除了手术，我们在男性方面没有任何避孕措施，”奥特利说。“如果我们能把这一发现开发成避孕的解决方案，可能会产生深远的影响。”

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