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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 19(1)

Embryo culture and long-term consequences

Jeremy G. Thompson A B , Megan Mitchell A and Karen L. Kind A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Research Centre for Reproductive Health, School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: jeremy.thompson@adelaide.edu.au

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 19(1) 43-52 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD06129
Published: 12 December 2006

Abstract

The development of pre-elongation (ruminants) and preimplantation (e.g. mouse and humans) embryos ex vivo has evolved over the past four decades into a reliable technology that is used as a research tool in developmental biology, as well as other embryo technologies, for application in infertility treatment, species conservation and selective breeding. It is clear from a variety of embryo culture studies that adaptive responses by embryos during culture can lead to significant alterations in subsequent developmental profiles, the mechanisms of which are not entirely clear but are unlikely to be limited to a single mechanism because this does not account for the variability seen in responses and the emerging list of specific cellular stressors that cause long-term deviations in fetal development. Epigenetic mechanisms, especially deviation of methylation patterns, and adaptation via causal pathways linking gene expression signalling with critical developmental time points, especially of placental development, are two candidates. Observational studies on post-transfer consequences must now be designed so that specific candidate pathways are followed to elucidate their role in perturbed development following transfer.


Acknowledgments

National Institute of Health grant (U01 HD044664) supports JGT and KLK. A National Health and Medical Research Programme grant (250306) also supports JGT.


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