Editorial: A discussion about “sperm factor” involved into egg activation

Although today, there is a general consensus that egg activation involves the release of a “sperm factor” that follows gamete fusion, the identity of the molecule involves in this process is still under discussion. Recently, Asian Journal of Andrology got three successive commentary articles which target the problem of the molecular nature of the “sperm factor.” Is it PAWP, PLC zeta, or both? Are other molecules also involved? These articles present alternative views and two of them are written, respectively, by authors involved in the original discovery of PLCzeta and PAWP. Altogether, It is well-known that controversies and questions exist in all fields of knowledge. Beyond doubt, they play an important role in driving the development of science and technology. It is, therefore, not surprising that controversies also arise in the area of reproductive biology, and it is our belief that thorough testing of alternative hypotheses will accelerate our understanding of this field. One of the open questions in reproduction is how the sperm activate the egg during fertilization. Over the years, different mechanisms have been proposed, which led to multiple discussions. Editorial: A discussion about “sperm factor” involved into egg activation