A fertilin-derived peptide improves in vitro maturation and ploidy of human oocytes

Abstract

To analyze the effect of a cyclic fertilin-derived peptide (cFEE) on invitro maturation of human oocytes. Randomized study. Fertility center in an academic hospital. Not applicable. Human immature germinal vesicle-stage oocytes (n = 1,629) donated for research according to French bioethics laws were randomly allocated to groups treated with 1 or 100 μM of cFEE or to a control group. They were incubated at 37 °C in 6% CO2 and 5% O2, and their maturation was assessed using time-lapse microscopy over 24 hours. Invitro maturated metaphase II oocytes were analyzed for chromosomal content using microarray comparative genomic hybridization, and their transcriptomes were analyzed using Affymetrix Clariom D microarrays. The percentage of oocytes undergoing maturation invitro was observed. Aneuploidy and euploidy were assessed for all chromosomes, and differential gene expression was analyzed in oocytes treated with cFEE compared with the control to obtain insights into its mechanism of action. cFEE significantly increased the percentage of oocytes that matured invitro and improved euploidy in meiosis II oocytes by the up-regulation of FMN1 and FLNA genes, both of which encode proteins involved in spindle structure. cFEE improves human oocyte maturation invitro and reduces aneuploidy. It may prove useful for treating oocytes before fertilization in assisted reproductive technology and for invitro maturation in fertility preservation programs to improve oocyte quality and the chances for infertile couples to conceive.