Abstract
Over 15 million babies have been conceived by IVF, yet debate about its safety to offspring continues. We hypothesized that superovulation and in vitro fertilization (IVF) promote genomic changes, including altered telomere length (TL) and activation of the retrotransposon LINE-1 (L1), and tested this hypothesis in a mouse model.
Highlights
Telomeres are non-coding, repetitive DNA sequences of TTAGGG located at the termini of linear chromosomes [1]
L1 copy number of blastocysts cultured for 120 hours (n=15, Mean: 1.71± 1.49) exceeded that of embryos cultured for 96 hours (n=67, Mean: 0.95 ± 1.03; p=0.0162)
Intriguingly ovarian stimulation, alone or followed by in vitro fertilization (IVF), produced embryos with significantly longer telomeres compared to in vivo, natural cycle-produced embryos. The significance of this enriched telomere endowment for the health and longevity of offspring born from IVF merit future studies
Summary
Telomeres are non-coding, repetitive DNA sequences of TTAGGG located at the termini of linear chromosomes [1] It protects the end of chromosomes by forming single strands that invade the telomeric double helix to create loops, called t-loops. Telomere length (TL) shortens due to the inability of the DNA polymerase enzyme to complete synthesis if the lagging strand at chromosomal ends [3]. When cells divide, they cannot replicate approximately 50 base pairs of the lagging DNA strand at chromosome ends [4]. This limits the number of divisions that a cell can tolerate because when telomeres reach a critical size, senescence and programmed cell death occur [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
