Feasibility of human telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA expression in individual blastomeres as an indicator of early embryo development.
OBJECTIVE
The study was undertaken to test whether human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) transcripts in an individual blastomere could be used as an indicator for embryo development.


METHODS
Group A consisted of day 3 normal cleaving embryos at 4- to 8-cell stage, which were surplus and not allocated for uterine transfer. Group B consisted of arrested or fragmented embryos at the same stage, which were considered to be compromised. After blastomere dissociation, RNA purification, reverse transcription, and hTERT PCR amplification, the amplified product was separated by 3% gel electrophoresis.


RESULTS
Eighty-six (90.5%) of the 95 intact blastomeres in group A and 78 (70.9%) of the 110 blastomeres in group B demonstrated hTERT mRNA expression. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05, chi-square). Eight (38.1%) of the 21 embryos in group A and 22 (62.9%) of the 35 embryos in group B had at least one blastomere that did not express hTERT mRNA under this procedure. The difference was not significant (P > 0.05, chi-square).


CONCLUSIONS
General hTERT mRNA transcripts can be detected in most of the individual blastomeres but cannot be used as an indicator for early embryo development. Further investigations are necessary to elucidate its clinical application.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Lin-Kou Medical Center, 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan. cwwang@ms4.hinet.net
Chia-Woei
CW
Wang
Ding-Shyan
DS
Yao
Shang-Gwo
SG
Horng
Hsiao-Chen
HC
Chiu
Chun-Kai
CK
Chen
Chyi-Long
CL
Lee
Hong-Yuan
HY
Huang
Hsin-Shih
HS
Wang
Yung-Kuei
YK
Soong
Chia C
CC
Pao
D001757:Blastomeres / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D048348:Reverse Transcription; D019098:Telomerase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012313:RNA; D019098:Telomerase