Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF )
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (43)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Van Blerkom, J.
Right arrow Articles by Henry, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Van Blerkom, J.
Right arrow Articles by Henry, G.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 217-225, 1987
© 1987 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

other

The occurrence, recognition and developmental fate of pseudo-multipronuclear eggs after in-vitro fertilization of human oocytes

Jonathan Van Blerkom1,2, Hobert Bell1 and George Henry2

1Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, CO 2Reproduction Genetics in Vitro Denver, CO, USA

The presence of three or more presumed pronuclei in 27 of 884 (3%) in-vitro fertilized human eggs suggested the occurrence of polyspermic fertilization. Detailed examination by differential interference contrast microscopy indicated that {bsim}40% of presumed multipronuclear eggs were normally fertilized but contained a cytoplasmic vacuole(s) (pseudo-pronucleus) of pronuclear dimension and gross morphology. Closely timed observations of presumed multipronuclear eggs revealed that pseudo-pronuclei (PPN) can co-migrate and become juxtaposed with true pronuclei, thus presenting the impression of an aberrant fertilization. Fluorescent probe and electron microscopic analyses demonstrated that PPN are enclosed by a plasma membrane and contain neither DNA nor nucleoli. PPN can develop either in the mature oocyte or the newly fertilized egg. Pseudo-multipronuclear eggs progress through the preimplantation stages in an apparently normal fashion and, as demonstrated by one birth and two ongoing pregnancies, are developmentally viable. Criteria for the unambiguous designation of pseudo-multipronuclear eggs are based on: (i) the absence of normal morphodynamic changes associated with pronuclear development; and (ii) the failure of nucleoli to appear during the perisyngamic stage. The findings strongly suggest that pseudo-multipronuclear human eggs may represent a class of morphological variants of normally fertilized and developmentally competent eggs.

Key words: multipronuclear/pseudo-multipronuclear/IVF/pro-nuclear morphodynamics


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
C. Hnida, I. Agerholm, and S. Ziebe
Traditional detection versus computer-controlled multilevel analysis of nuclear structures from donated human embryos
Hum. Reprod., March 1, 2005; 20(3): 665 - 671.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
S. Kattera and C. Chen
Normal birth after microsurgical enucleation of tripronuclear human zygotes: Case report
Hum. Reprod., June 1, 2003; 18(6): 1319 - 1322.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
V.Y. Rawe, S.B. Olmedo, F.N. Nodar, R. Ponzio, and P. Sutovsky
Abnormal assembly of annulate lamellae and nuclear pore complexes coincides with fertilization arrest at the pronuclear stage of human zygotic development
Hum. Reprod., March 1, 2003; 18(3): 576 - 582.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Cell Sci.Home page
P Sutovsky, C Simerly, L Hewitson, and G Schatten
Assembly of nuclear pore complexes and annulate lamellae promotes normal pronuclear development in fertilized mammalian oocytes
J. Cell Sci., January 10, 1998; 111(19): 2841 - 2854.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.