A novel TLE6 mutation, c.541+1G>A, identified using whole-exome sequencing in a Chinese family with female infertility.

BACKGROUND

Oocytes have a lot of maternal RNAs and proteins, which are used by the early embryo before zygotic genome activation. Transducin-like enhancer of split 6 (TLE6) is a component of a subcortical maternal complex which plays a critical role in early embryonic development.

METHODS

The patient had been diagnosed with primary infertility for 6 years and had undergone multiple failed in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Genomic DNA samples were extracted from her parents' peripheral blood as well as hers. Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger validation were performed to identify candidate variants.

RESULTS

We identified a novel transducin-like enhancer of split 6 (TLE6) gene mutations in the female patient with recurrent IVF/ICSI failure. The patient carried a homozygous mutation (NM_001143986.1(TLE6): c.541+1G>A) and had viable but low-quality embryos. Her parents both had heterozygous mutations at this locus.

CONCLUSION

Our study expands the mutational and phenotypic spectrum of TLE6 and suggests the important role of TLE6 during embryonic development. Our findings have implications for the genetic diagnosis of female infertility with recurrent IVF/ICSI failure.