Telomere DNA Deficiency and Human Embryonic Aneuploidy, Review of a Review assignment help

Read the following article then read the review of the article and then write a 1 page two paragraphs review of the reviewer review.

 Telomere DNA Deficiency and Human Embryonic Aneuploidy            

         

•  Article Link:

http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002161#s1 [see attached]

•Citation: Treff NR, Su J, Taylor D, Scott RT Jr (2011) Telomere DNA Deficiency Is Associated with Development of Human Embryonic Aneuploidy. PLoS Genet 7(6): e1002161. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002161

•Scientific Method:

– The researchers followed the scientific method as they utilized observations from prior studies to formulate a clearly stated hypothesis, which was then tested using results from a well-designed experiment and concluded with several important findings. Based on observations that aneuploidy, the gain or loss of an entire chromosome, is most frequently associated with “miscarriages and developmental delays in humans”, the researchers hypothesized that telomere DNA deficiency, which causes genomic instability in somatic cells, may be a factor in aneuploidy (normally found in female germ cells and human embryos). Aneuploidy occurs during maternal gamete formation and the risk aneuploidy of increases as the mother’s age increases. The experiment was well designed and included several controls to address limitations during data collection.The researchers postulated that if reduced telomere DNA length is “an intermediate event that precedes aneuploidy development, then telomere length could prove to be a useful marker of embryonic reproductive potential”. They concluded that further investigation may be useful in determining “the predictive value of telomere DNA length for ovarian reserve and reproductive potential”.

•  Validity of Hypothesis:

– The hypothesis that the researchers formulated is logical and appears to be valid. Their hypothesis was based on findings from numerous studies, which recognized the importance of telomeres in maintaining chromosome stability and concluded that “excessive telomere shortening” leads to “chromosome instability in somatic cells”. In a study of telomerase knockout mice (telomerase was removed) it was determined that “oocytes develop abnormal spindles” and as we aware from our course so far, spindle formation is essential in chromosome segregation. Thus the researchers formulated their hypothesis that telomeres may be an important factor in “the development of oocyte aneuploidy in humans”.

•  Sections of the Article:

– The article began with an abstract that captured the main points of the research study, the hypothesis and findings. In the introduction the authors made a case for their hypothesis by establishing the importance of telomeres in normal human development. This was followed by an overview of the methodology that would be used and the limitations that needed to be addressed. The results section was presented with the aid of several graphical presentations and tables as well as detailed explanations. The discussions section provided details of the findings along with control mechanisms that were used in the study. For example, the researchers used a paired sample study design to control for “all patient specific variables that may be associated with telomere DNA content including maternal age, paternal age, and genetic background”. The discussions section was followed by a materials and methods section, which detailed the methodology that was used to study the telomere DNA.

•  Design of Experiment:

– An assay was developed and evaluated to accurately measure relative amounts of telomere DNA from single or few cells after WGA (whole-genome amplification).  This allowed for various comparisons while controlling several variables including differences that could be attributed to patient specific variables. The results of the study proved that telomere DNA length is associated with human aneuploidy development. Based on the results the conclusions appear to be valid.

•  Quality of Published Article:

– The published article meets the standards of scientific research and was supported by strong and detailed analysis. The study provided useful data and analysis which provided deeper insight into an area that is important for many scientific researchers as well as members of the general population who may benefit from future advances in reproductive medicine. The supporting data and research methodology may prove useful for future studies.