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Transcriptomics Technology: Promise and Potential Pitfalls

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Human Gametes and Preimplantation Embryos

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Abstract

The developmental program of an embryo rests on the outcome of the complex interactions of gene products of the embryonic cell. As information flows from DNA to RNA and to protein, each step is potentially a predictor of the physiologic state of the cell. While protein content is more closely related to cellular phenotype than RNA content, current technology is much more sensitive for characterization of all RNA molecules of the cell (the transcriptome) than protein content. Taking RNA expression levels as a proxy for the expression levels of corresponding proteins, one can approximate the molecular composition of the cell and attempt to correlate it with its physiologic state. In the context of assisted reproductive technologies, transcriptome analysis is a powerful tool that can be used to identify genes whose expressions are predictive of implantation and developmental success. At a more practical level, RNA expression profiles of blastocyst biopsies might be used for pre-implantation embryo screening.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part with federal funds from NIH grants DA018343, DK090744 and UL1 RR024139.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics, W. M. Keck Foundation Biotechnology Resource Laboratory, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 501, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Can Bruce

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Asli Uyar

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  1. Can Bruce
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  2. Asli Uyar
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Correspondence to Can Bruce .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Melbourne, Department of Zoology, Royal Parade, Melbourne, 3010, Victoria, Australia

    David K. Gardner

  2. Boston IVF, Second Ave. 130, Waltham, 02451, Massachusetts, USA

    Denny Sakkas

  3. Yale School of Medicine, Dept. of Ob/Gyn & Reproductive Sciences, Cedar St. 333, New Haven, 06510, Connecticut, USA

    Emre Seli

  4. Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of, Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2HW, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

    Dagan Wells

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Bruce, C., Uyar, A. (2013). Transcriptomics Technology: Promise and Potential Pitfalls. In: Gardner, D., Sakkas, D., Seli, E., Wells, D. (eds) Human Gametes and Preimplantation Embryos. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6651-2_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6651-2_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6650-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6651-2

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