DNA methylation and gene expression changes derived from assisted reproductive technologies can be decreased by reproductive fluids
- Universidad de Murcia, Spain
- The Babraham Institute, United Kingdom
Abstract
The number of children born since the origin of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) exceeds 5 million. The majority seem healthy, but a higher frequency of defects has been reported among ART-conceived infants, suggesting an epigenetic cost. We report the first whole-genome DNA methylation datasets from single pig blastocysts showing differences between in vivo and in vitro produced embryos. Blastocysts were produced in vitro either without (C-IVF) or in the presence of natural reproductive fluids (Natur-IVF). Natur-IVF embryos were of higher quality than C-IVF in terms of cell number and hatching ability to. RNA-Seq and DNA methylation analyses showed that Natur-IVF embryos have expression and methylation patterns closer to in vivo blastocysts. Genes involved in reprogramming, imprinting and development were affected by culture, with fewer aberrations in Natur-IVF embryos. Methylation analysis detected methylated changes in C-IVF, but not in Natur-IVF, at genes whose methylation could be critical, such as IGF2R and NNAT.
Data availability
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Data from: DNA methylation and gene expression changes derived from assisted reproductive technologies can be decreased by reproductive fluidsAvailable at Dryad Digital Repository under a CC0 Public Domain Dedication.
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
Research Councils UK
- Gavin Kelsey
Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (AGL2012-40180-C03-01 and AGL2015-66341-R)
- Pilar Coy
Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (PRX14/00348)
- Pilar Coy
Fundación Séneca. Región de Murcia. Spain (20040/GERM/16)
- Pilar Coy
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Ethics
Animal experimentation: This study was carried out in strict accordance with the recommendations in the Guiding Principles for the Care and Use of Animals (DHEW Publication, NIH, 80-23). The protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee for Experimentation with Animals of the University of Murcia, Spain (Project Code: 192/2015).
Copyright
© 2017, Canovas et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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