Project description:The use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) has revolutionized the treatment of infertility and is now responsible for 1-5% of all births in industrialized countries. During IVF, it is typical for patients to generate multiple embryos. However, only a small proportion of them possess the genetic and metabolic requirements needed in order to produce a healthy pregnancy. The identification of the embryo with the greatest developmental capacity represents a major challenge for fertility clinics. Current methods for the assessment of embryo competence are proven inefficient, and the inadvertent transfer of non-viable embryos is the principal reason why most IVF treatments (approximately two-thirds) end in failure. In this study, we investigate how the application of proteomic measurements could improve success rates in clinical embryology. We describe a procedure that allows the identification and quantification of proteins of embryonic origin, present in attomole concentrations in the blastocoel, the enclosed fluid-filled cavity that forms within 5-day-old human embryos. By using targeted proteomics, we demonstrate the feasibility of quantifying multiple proteins in samples derived from single blastocoels and that such measurements correlate with aspects of embryo viability, such as chromosomal (ploidy) status. This study illustrates the potential of high-sensitivity proteomics to measure clinically relevant biomarkers in minute samples and, more specifically, suggests that key aspects of embryo competence could be measured using a proteomic-based strategy, with negligible risk of harm to the living embryo. Our work paves the way for the development of "next-generation" embryo competence assessment strategies, based on functional proteomics.
Project description:The use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) has revolutionized the treatment of infertility and is now responsible for 1-5% of all births in industrialized countries. During IVF, it is typical for patients to generate multiple embryos. However, only a small proportion of them possess the genetic and metabolic requirements needed in order to produce a healthy pregnancy. The identification of the embryo with the greatest developmental capacity represents a major challenge for fertility clinics. Current methods for the assessment of embryo competence are proven inefficient and the inadvertent transfer of non-viable embryos is the principal reason why most IVF treatments (approximately two-thirds) end in failure. In this study, we investigate how the application of proteomic measurements could improve success rates in clinical embryology. We describe a procedure that allows the identification and quantification of proteins of embryonic origin, present in attomole concentrations in the blastocoel, the enclosed fluid filled cavity that forms within five-day old human embryos. By using targeted proteomics, we demonstrate the feasibility of quantifying multiple proteins in samples derived from single blastocoels, and that such measurements correlate with aspects of embryo viability, such as chromosomal (ploidy) status. This study illustrates the potential of high-sensitivity proteomics to measure clinically relevant biomarkers in minute samples and, more specifically, suggests that key aspects of embryo competence could be measured using a proteomic-based strategy, with negligible risk of harm to the living embryo. Our work paves the way for the development of “next-generation” embryo competence assessment strategies, based on functional proteomics.
Project description:Spatial information is critical to the interrogation of developmental and tissue-level regulation of gene expression. However, this information is usually lost when global mRNA levels from tissues are measured using reverse transcriptase PCR, microarray analysis or high-throughput sequencing. By contrast, single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) preserves the spatial information of the cellular mRNA content with subcellular resolution within tissues. Here we describe an smFISH protocol that allows for the quantification of single mRNAs in Drosophila embryos, using commercially available smFISH probes (e.g., short fluorescently labeled DNA oligonucleotides) in combination with wide-field epifluorescence, confocal or instant structured illumination microscopy (iSIM, a super-resolution imaging approach) and a spot-detection algorithm. Fixed Drosophila embryos are hybridized in solution with a mixture of smFISH probes, mounted onto coverslips and imaged in 3D. Individual fluorescently labeled mRNAs are then localized within tissues and counted using spot-detection software to generate quantitative, spatially resolved gene expression data sets. With minimum guidance, a graduate student can successfully implement this protocol. The smFISH procedure described here can be completed in 4-5 d.
Project description:Implantation of the human blastocyst is a milestone event in embryonic development. The trophoblast is the first cell lineage to differentiate during implantation. Failures in trophoblast differentiation during implantation are correlated to the defects of pregnancy and embryonic growth. However, many gaps remain in the knowledge of human embryonic development, especially regarding trophoblast morphogenesis and function. Herein, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis on human post-implantation embryos cultured in vitro. A hierarchical model was established, which was characterized by the sequential development of two primitive cytotrophoblast cell (pCTB) subtypes, two primitive syncytiotrophoblast subtypes, and migrative trophoblast cells (MTB) after the trophectoderm . Further analysis characterized cytoskeleton transition of trophoblast cells and morphogenesis, such as irregular nuclei, cell cycle arrest, and cellular aging during implantation. Moreover, we found syncytialization of hTSCs could mimic the morphogenesis, serving as a powerful tool for further understanding of the mechanism during the implantation stage of pregnancy. Our work allows for the reconstruction of trophoblast cell transcriptional transition and morphogenesis during implantation and provides a valuable resource to study pathologies in early pregnancy, such as recurrent implantation failure.
Project description:The mammalian post-implantation embryo has been extensively investigated at the tissue level. However, to unravel the molecular basis for the cell-fate plasticity and determination, it is essential to study the characteristics of individual cells. In particular, the individual definitive endoderm (DE) cells have not been characterized in vivo Here, we report gene expression patterns in single cells freshly isolated from mouse embryos on days 5.5 and 6.5. Initial transcriptome data from 124 single cells yielded signature genes for the epiblast, visceral endoderm, and extra-embryonic ectoderm and revealed a unique distribution pattern of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) ligands and receptors. Further analysis indicated that early-stage epiblast cells do not segregate into lineages of the major germ layers. Instead, some cells began to diverge from epiblast cells, displaying molecular features of the premesendoderm by expressing higher levels of mesendoderm markers and lower levels of Sox3 transcripts. Analysis of single-cell high-throughput quantitative RT-PCR data from 441 cells identified a late stage of the day 6.5 embryo in which mesoderm and DE cells emerge, with many of them coexpressing Oct4 and Gata6 Analysis of single-cell RNA-sequence data from 112 cells of the late-stage day 6.5 embryos revealed differentially expressed signaling genes and networks of transcription factors that might underlie the segregation of the mesoderm and DE lineages. Moreover, we discovered a subpopulation of mesoderm cells that possess molecular features of the extraembryonic mesoderm. This study provides fundamental insight into the molecular basis for lineage segregation in post-implantation mouse embryos.