Cytogenetic analysis of Q-banded pronuclear chromosomes in fertilized Syrian hamster eggs

Abstract

The frequency and type of chromosome abnormalities were analyzed in 917 female pronuclei in Syrian hamster eggs fertilized by human sperm. Analysis at this stage allows detection of errors which have occurred during meiosis I and II. The chromosomes were Q-banded to identify individual chromosomes and detect subtle alterations. Thirty-three (3.6%) of the hamster egg complements were abnormal: 19 (2.1%) were hypohaploid, seven (0.76%) were hyperhaploid, two (0.2%) had double aneuploidy, and five (0.5%) had a structural chromosome abnormality. Since there were significantly more hypohaploid than hyperhaploid complements, a conservative estimate of aneuploidy can be derived by doubling the frequency of hyperhaploid complements. Thus a minimal estimate of aneuploidy (single, 1.5%, and double, 0.2%) is 1.7% and a minimal estimate of the total frequency of abnormalities is 2.2%. All chromosome groups were represented among the aneuploid complements suggesting that all chromosomes are susceptible to non-disjunction.

Developmental competence of porcine parthenogenetic embryos relative to embryonic chromosomal abnormalities

“…These anomalies may result in reproductive failure, manifested by arrested embryo development or unexplained spontaneous abortions. Chromosomal abnormalities are prevalent in aborted human (Boue et al, 1975;Szczygiet and Kurpisz, 2001), mouse (Fraser and Maudlin, 1979), Syrian hamster (Martin et al, 1983), rabbit (Feccheimer and Beatty, 1974), and pig (McCauley et al, 2003) conceptuses. Until now, few reports addressed the rate of chromosome abnormalities in PA embryos.…”

Karyotypes of 3- or 4-day-old pig embryos after short in-vitro culture

“…In man, there is a coincidence between a high level of chromosome abnormalities amongst early conceptuses and a high level of prenatal death. Experimental animals such as the mouse, the Syrian hamster and the rabbit are characterized by lower levels of embryonic wastage and the frequencies of chromosome abnor¬ malities amongst pronucleate eggs and young blastocysts are also low (rabbit: Fechheimer & Beatty, 1974;mouse: Fraser & Maudlin, 1979; Syrian hamster: Martin, Balkan & Burns, 1983).…”