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Updated: Apr 14, 2026
Single Oocyte Bisulfite Mutagenesis
Published on: June 27, 2012
Deoxyribonucleic acid methylation profiling of single human blastocysts by methylated CpG-island amplification
John Huntriss1, Karen Hemmings1, Praveen Baskaran2
1Division of Reproduction and Early Development, Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
Objective:
To study whether methylated CpG-island (CGI) amplification coupled with microarray (MCAM) can be used to generate DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) methylation profiles from single human blastocysts.
Design:
A pilot microarray study with methylated CpG-island amplification applied to human blastocyst genomic DNA and hybridized on CpG-island microarrays.
Setting:
University research laboratory.
Patient(S):
Five cryopreserved sibling 2-pronuclear zygotes that were surplus to requirements for clinical treatment by in vitro fertilization were donated with informed consent from a patient attending Bourn Hall Clinic, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Intervention(S):
None.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Successful generation of genome-wide DNA methylation profiles at CpG islands from individual human blastocysts, with common genomic regions of DNA methylation identified between embryos.
Result(S):
Between 472 and 734 CpG islands were methylated in each blastocyst, with 121 CpG islands being commonly methylated in all 5 blastocysts. A further 159 CGIs were commonly methylated in 4 of the 5 tested blastocysts. Methylation was observed at a number of CGIs within imprinted-gene, differentially methylated regions (DMRs), including placental and preimplantation-specific DMRs.
Conclusion(S):
The MCAM method is capable of providing comprehensive DNA methylation data in individual human blastocysts.
