# A conserved fertilization complex bridges sperm and egg in vertebrates

*PRI Rank #5 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Reproductive Biology and Fertility Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/reproductive-biology-and-fertility/2026/rank-5*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #5 |
| 18m citations | 55 |
| Journal | Cell |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.035 |
| Corresponding authors | Victoria E. Deneke, Andrea Pauli |
| Institution | Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Austria |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Reproductive Biology and Fertility Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/reproductive-biology-and-fertility/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.035](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.035)

## Topics

Tmem81 · Izumo1 · Spaca6 · Bouncer · JUNO · AlphaFold-Multimer screen · trimeric sperm complex · sperm-egg binding · sperm-egg fusion · zebrafish fertilization · mouse fertility · male fertility · conserved fertilization complex · vertebrate reproduction · egg fertilization factor · protein-protein interaction · cross-species conservation · species-specific egg proteins

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Reproductive Biology and Fertility Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/reproductive-biology-and-fertility/2026. Accessed 2026-07-17.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```