Morphology of human embryos and apoptosis, as measured by P53 expression, a protein marker

Abstract

Objective: The current method to determine embryo quality for transfer to the uterus during in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures is based on morphologic criteria. The morphology of a poor quality embryo is consistent with the changes a cell undergoes during apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The expression of p53, a tumor suppressor marker and component in the apoptotic cascade, represents damaged DNA, arrested DNA, or RNA synthesis in mammalian cells. These cellular changes are the result of a cascade of molecular interactions in developing embryos. A limited number of studies on mouse and human embryos have shown that morphology is indicative of apoptosis. In addition, mouse embryo studies have demonstrated the relationship between p53 expression and embryo quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate a molecular marker (p53 protein expression) for apoptosis in human pre-implantation embryos and its relationship with embryo morphology.