Embryo Culture and Epigenetics

During preimplantation development, major epigenetic reprogramming occurs, erasing gametic modifications, and establishing embryonic epigenetic modifications. Given the plasticity of these modifications, they are susceptible to disruption by assisted reproductive technologies, including embryo culture. The current state of evidence is presented for the effects of embryo culture on global DNA methylation and histone modifications, retroviral silencing, X-inactivation, and genomic imprinting. Several salient points emerge from the literature; that culture in the absence of other procedures can lead to epigenetic perturbations; that all media are suboptimal; and that embryo response to in vitro culture is stochastic. We propose that embryos adapt to the suboptimal environment generated by embryo culture, including epigenetic adaptations, and that “quiet” embryos may be the least epigenetically compromised by in vitro culture.