Protein expression in human cumulus cells as an indicator of blastocyst formation and pregnancy success

Author(s)

Almeida Ferreira Braga, Daniela Paes ; Setti, Amanda Souza ; Lo Turco, Edson Guimares ; Cordeiro, Fernanda Bertuccez ; Cabral, Elaine Cristina ; Cortezzi, Sylvia Sanches ; Ono, Erika ; Savio Figueira, Rita Cassia ; Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira ; Borges, Jr., Edson

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF ASSISTED REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS; v. 33, n. 12, p. 1571-1583, DEC 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 6

Abstract

The goal for the present study was to implement a technique for protein extraction and identification in human cumulus cells (CCs). Forty samples of CCs were collected after ovum pick-up from patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Samples were split into the blastocyst group (n = 10), including patients in which all embryos converted into blastocysts, and the non-blastocyst group (n = 10), including patients in which none of the embryos reached the blastocyst stage or the positive-pregnancy (n = 10) and negative-pregnancy group (n = 10). Proteins were extracted and injected into a liquid chromatography system coupled to a mass spectrometer. The spectra were processed and used to search a database. There were 87 different proteins in samples from the blastocyst and non-blastocyst groups, in which 30 were exclusively expressed in the blastocyst group and 17 in the non-blastocyst group. Among the 72 proteins detected in the pregnancy groups, 19 were exclusively expressed in the positive, and 16 were exclusively expressed in the negative-pregnancy group. CC proteomics may be useful for predicting pregnancy success and the identification of patients that should be included in extended embryo culture programs. (AU)