Correlation between female pronuclear/cytoplasmic ratio and number of chromosomes in mouse zygotic stage: implications for aneuploidy assessment in ART

The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between the pronuclear/cytoplasmic (PN/C) ratio and the number of chromosomes in mouse zygotes to understand the implications of pronuclear size regulation in early embryonic development.

A combination of enucleation and aggregated chromosomes/chromatin (AC) transfer was utilized to create oocytes with varying numbers of chromosomes. Time-lapse imaging and immunofluorescence staining were employed to analyze pronuclear dynamics and chromosomal configurations.

Higher chromosome numbers correspond to a larger PN/C ratio. Oocytes with a higher number of chromosomes exhibited larger pronuclei.

The study underscores the complexity of pronuclear size regulation and its correlation with the number of chromosomes. The findings suggest potential applications in ART, where assessing the PN/C ratio could serve as a biomarker for zygote quality and aneuploidy.