title: Assisted reproductive technologies do not alter mutation frequency or spectrum.
abstract: Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have now contributed to the birth of >3 million babies worldwide, but concerns remain regarding the safety of these methods. We have used a transgenic mouse model to examine the effects of ARTs on the frequency and spectrum of point mutations in midgestation mouse fetuses produced by either natural reproduction or various methods of ART, including preimplantation culture, embryo transfer, in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and round spermatid injection. Our results show that there is no significant difference in the frequency or spectrum of de novo point mutations found in naturally conceived fetuses and fetuses produced by in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, or round spermatid injection. These results, based on analyses of a transgenic mouse system, indicate that with respect to maintenance of genetic integrity, ARTs appear to be safe.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caperton
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Murphey
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: C Alex
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McMahan
authors.forename: Christi A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Ryuzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yanagimachi
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: McCarrey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000196:embryology; D005260:Female; D056968:Lac Repressors; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D056968:Lac Repressors; D012097:Repressor Proteins