抄録
The survival strategies used by the preimplantation embryos in response to sperm DNA damage are not completely understood. Our earlier observation has demonstrated the functioning of p53 dependent S-checkpoint in the zygotes fertilized with irradiated sperm, which suppressed pronuclear DNA synthesis. Interestingly, these zygotes with sub optimal DNA content progressed beyond implantation but a large number of the fetus have undergone post-implantation demise. These observations made us to undertake the present study to find out whether apoptotic machinery functions in the embryos and also whether developmental potential is altered in the embryos fertilized with X-irradiated sperm. Here we found that, the embryos derived from sperm irradiation had developmental delay and genomic instability at the compaction stage between day 2.5 and 3.5 post fertilization. The apoptotic response was detected only at peri-implantation period specifically after blastocyst formation. We further demonstrate that in vitro developmental potential was compromised in these embryos. [J Radiat Res 44:449 (2003)]
