The effect of embryo biopsy on global patterns of gene expression in the mouse blastocyst

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT), which encompasses both Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) and Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS), is a form of prenatal screening done on embryos conceived through assisted reproduction techniques (ART) prior to the initiation of pregnancy to ensure that only select embryos are used for transfer. PGT is typically performed on 8-cell embryos derived from either in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) followed by extended culture. PGT requires a highly invasive embryo biopsy procedure that involves 1) incubating embryos in divalent-cation-deficient medium to disrupt cell adhesion, 2) breaching the protective zona pellucida with acid Tyrodes, laser drilling, or mechanical force and 3) aspirating one or two blastomeres. In this study we developed a mouse model of the embryo biopsy procedure inherent to PGT to determine the effect of various aspects of the procedure (incubation in Ca2+/Mg2+-free medium (CMF), acid Tyrodes treatment, blastomere aspiration), performed individually or in combination, on global patterns of gene expression in the resulting blastocysts.

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Duncan FE, Stein P, Williams CJ, Schultz RM