Sexing bovine pre-implantation embryos using the polymerase chain reaction: A model for human embryo sexing

Abstract

The paper aims to present a bovine model for human embryo sexing. Cows were super-ovulated, artificially inseminated and embryos were recovered 7 days later. Embryo biopsy was performed; DNA was extracted from  blastomeres and amplified using bovine-specific and bovine-Y-chromosomespecific primers, followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Embryos were then transferred to synchronized recipients and PCR predicted sex was compared to the actual sex of the newborn calves. Results showed a 39% pregnancy rate and a 95.65% accuracy of the sexing method. The  sexing method can also be applied to human embryos, using different primers, designed for human DNA.

Key words: sexing, embryo, PCR, bovine.