The chromosomal constitution of multipronuclear zygotes resulting from in-vitro fertilization.

We have attempted to analyse the chromosome constitution of 77 multipronuclear uncleaved zygotes obtained from our in-vitro fertilization programme. Complete karyotypes could be established for 51 tripronuclear cells and eight zygotes with four pronuclei. When compiling the results, the varying arrangement of the chromosome sets was taken into consideration. Eighteen tripronuclear zygotes showed three separate haploid metaphases (distribution pattern n/n/n), 16 cells had one haploid and one diploid chromosome set (n/2n), and in 15 zygotes the individual sets were not distinguishable (3n). Two zygotes were in fact tetraploid, the distribution of metaphases on the slide being n/3n and n/n/2n, respectively. In tripronuclear zygotes the sex chromosome ratio XXX:XXY:XYY was 14:16:18, excluding the two tetraploid cells and one zygote with a 23,X/23,X/22,-C or -Y karyotype. Chromosome abnormalities were found in 16 zygotes (31.4%) and included numerical (six cells), structural (four cells) as well as combinations of numerical and structural alterations (six cells). Four of the zygotes with four pronuclei (50%) had numerical and/or structural chromosome aberrations. Excluding two cells with one uninterpretable metaphase and a 22,-C or -Y karyotype, respectively, the sex chromosome distribution XXXX:XXXY:XXYY:XYYY was 1:1:2:1 in zygotes with four pronuclei. Another zygote was found to be pentaploid after fixation. These results suggest that analysis of multipronuclear zygotes yields valuable information about cytogenetic abnormalities occurring at the earliest stage of conception.