Preembryo biopsy and analysis of blastomeres by in situ hybridization

We developed a method for the biopsy of preimplantation mouse embryos (preembryos) at the four- to eight-cell stage, which uses partial zona pellucida dissection. The preembryos were collected in calcium- and magnesium-free phosphate-buffered saline solution with 0.01% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 0.1 mol/L sucrose, and 4 mg/ml of bovine serum albumin to facilitate removal of blastomeres. This allows entry of a fine micropipette into the perivitelline cavity with subsequent removal of a single blastomere by gentle suction. The majority of embryos (75%) from which biopsy specimens were obtained in this fashion developed to the blastocyst stage. The blastomeres obtained were mainly intact and they were fixed to glass slides. After permeabilization, in situ hybridization was performed with chromosome X- and chromosome 3-specific probes. Human unfertilized eggs and blastomeres from human polyspermic embryos also have been analyzed by in situ hybridization with chromosome specific probes. The combination of nondestructive embryo biopsy and in situ hybridization is a possible approach for preimplantation genetic diagnosis.