Exploring X Chromosomal Aberrations in Ovarian Cells by Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

Summary

This article presents two methods based on fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine the X chromosomal content of ovarian cells in non-grafted and grafted ovarian cortex tissue from females with X chromosomal aberrations.

Abstract

Millions of people worldwide deal with issues concerning fertility. Reduced fertility, or even infertility, may be due to many different causes, including genetic disorders, of which chromosomal abnormalities are the most common. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a well-known and frequently used method to detect chromosomal aberrations in humans. FISH is mainly used for the analysis of chromosomal abnormalities in the spermatozoa of males with numerical or structural chromosomal aberrations. Furthermore, this technique is also frequently applied in females to detect X chromosomal aberrations that are known to cause ovarian dysgenesis. However, information on the X chromosomal content of ovarian cells from females with X chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes and/or buccal cells is still lacking.

The aim of this study is to advance basic research regarding X chromosomal aberrations in females, by presenting two methods based on FISH to identify the X chromosomal content of ovarian cells. First, a method is described to determine the X chromosomal content of isolated ovarian cells (oocytes, granulosa cells, and stromal cells) in non-grafted ovarian cortex tissue from females with X chromosomal aberrations. The second method is directed at evaluating the effect of chromosomal aberrations on folliculogenesis by determining the X chromosomal content of ovarian cells of newly formed secondary and antral follicles in ovarian tissue, from females with X chromosomal aberrations after long-term grafting into immunocompromised mice. Both methods could be helpful in future research to gain insight into the reproductive potential of females with X chromosomal aberrations.

Introduction

Infertility is a health issue of the male or female reproductive system, affecting approximately 186 million individuals of reproductive age worldwide¹. In at least 35% of infertile couples, infertility is caused by a disorder of the female reproductive system². There are many factors that can cause female infertility, such as genetic factors, genital tract abnormalities, endocrine dysfunction, inflammatory diseases, and iatrogenic treatment³.

Genetic abnormalities are present in approximately 10% of infertile females^4,

Protocol

The TurnerFertility study protocol has been approved by the Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (NL57738.000.16). In this study, the ovarian cortex tissue of 93 females with TS was obtained. Materials that require safety precautions are listed in Table 1.

Table 1: Safety precautions.

Material	Hazard
Acetic acid	Severe skin burns and irritation of the respiratory sys....

Results

FISH on isolated ovarian cells prior to grafting
Cryopreserved ovarian cortex tissue from females with 45,X/46,XX (patient A) or 45,X/46,XX/47,XXX (patient B) TS were used to illustrate the results using this protocol. In patient A, 50% of the lymphocytes had a 45,X karyotype and 50% had 46,XX. In patient B, 38% of the lymphocytes were 45,X, 28% were 46,XX, and 34% were 47,XXX. Centromere-specific probes for chromosome X (green) and chromosome 18 as the control (red) were used to determine the X chro.......

Discussion

FISH analysis is a well-known technique to detect X chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes or buccal cells of both males and females¹⁰. Several studies have described FISH on gametes of males with X chromosomal aberrations, but detailed information obtained by FISH on ovarian cells from females with X chromosomal aberrations is still lacking¹⁴. This article presents novel methods based on FISH to determine if aneuploidy is present in the ovarian cells of non-grafted and gra.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Acetic acid	Biosolve BV	0001070602BS
Centrifuge 1200	Hettich Universal	4140
Collagenase I	Sigma	131470
Coverslip	VWR	0631-0146
DAPI	Vector	H-1200
DNase I	Roche	10104159001
Dulbecco’s Phosphate Buffered Saline	Lonza	BE17-513Q
EDTA	Merck	108421
Eosin-Y	Sigma	1159350100
Ethanol	EMSURE	1009832500
Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS)	Life technology	10100147
Fluorescence microscope for sections DM4 B	Leica Microsystems
Fluorescence microscope scope A1	Zeiss AXIO
Fluorescent labeled probes for dissociated cells	Abbott Diagnostics	CEPX (DXZ1) 05J1023 CEP18 (D18Z1) 05J0818
Fluorescent labeled probes for tissue sections	Abbott Diagnostics	CEP X (DXZ1 05J08-023 CEP 18 (D18Z1)  05J10-028
Formaldehyde	Sigma	252549
Glucose	Merck	108337
Glue (Fixogum)	Leica Microsystems	LK071A
Hematoxylin	Sigma	1159380025
Hybridization buffer	Abott Diagnostics	32-804826/06J67-001
Hybridization Station	Dako	S2451
Hydrochloric acid	Merck	1003171000
Image processing software individual ovarian cortex cells (Cytovision 7.7)	Leica Biosystems
Image processing software on paraffine sections	Leica Application Suitex (3.7.5.24914)
Immunohitochemistry microscope slides	Dako	K802021-2
L15	Lonza	12-700Q
Liberase DH	Roche	05 401 151 001
Light microscope	Zeiss West Germany
Magnesium sulphate	Merck	A335586
Methanol	Honeywell	14262-1L
Mounting medium	Vectashield, Vector	H-1000
Nonidet P40	Sigma	7385-1L
Paraffin	Poth Hile	2712.20.10
Pepsin	Sigma	P7000-25G
Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS)	Gibco	11530546
Plastic pipette	CooperSurgical	7-72-4075/1
Potassium chloride	Merck	1049361000
Proteinase K	Qiagen	19131
Rotation microtome HM 355S	Thermo sceintific
Scalpel	Dahlhausen	11.000.00.515
Slide for FISH on dissociated cells	Thermo scientific	J1810AM1JZ
Sodium bicarbonate	Sigma	55761-500G
Standard Sodium Citrate (SSC)	Fisher Scientific, Invitrogen	10515203
Stereomicroscope IX 70	Olympus
Target Retrieval Solution	Dako	GV80511-2
Trypsin	Sigma	T4799
Tween-20	ThermoFisher	85113
Xylene	BOOM	760518191000