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Ochi S, Manabe S, Kikkawa T, Ebrahimiazar S, Kimura R, Yoshizaki K, Osumi N. A Transcriptomic Dataset of Embryonic Murine Telencephalon. Sci Data 2024; 11:586. [PMID: 38839806 PMCID: PMC11153524 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03421-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex bias is known in the prevalence/pathology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Sex-dependent differences of the certain brain areas are known to emerge perinatally through the exposure to sex hormones, while gene expression patterns in the rodent embryonic brain does not seem to be completely the same between male and female. To investigate potential sex differences in gene expression and cortical organization during the embryonic period in mice, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of gene expression for the telencephalon at embryonic day (E) 11.5 (a peak of neural stem cell expansion) and E14.5 (a peak of neurogenesis) using bulk RNA-seq data. As a result, our data showed the existence of notable sex differences in gene expression patterns not obviously at E11.5, but clearly at E14.5 when neurogenesis has become its peak. These data can be useful for exploring potential contribution of genes exhibiting sex differences to the divergence in brain development. Additionally, our data underscore the significance of studying the embryonic period to gain a deeper understanding of sex differences in brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Ochi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Shyu Manabe
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Takako Kikkawa
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Sara Ebrahimiazar
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Kimura
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
- Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-0811, Japan
| | - Kaichi Yoshizaki
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
- Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Future Medical Sciences, Division of Integrated Analysis of Bioresource and Health Care, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
- Kobe University Hospital, Bioresource Center, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan.
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2
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Wu D, Zhang K, Guan K, Khan FA, Pandupuspitasari NS, Negara W, Sun F, Huang C. Future in the past: paternal reprogramming of offspring phenotype and the epigenetic mechanisms. Arch Toxicol 2024; 98:1685-1703. [PMID: 38460001 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-024-03713-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
That certain preconceptual paternal exposures reprogram the developmental phenotypic plasticity in future generation(s) has conceptualized the "paternal programming of offspring health" hypothesis. This transgenerational effect is transmitted primarily through sperm epigenetic mechanisms-DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and associated RNA modifications, and histone modifications-and potentially through non-sperm-specific mechanisms-seminal plasma and circulating factors-that create 'imprinted' memory of ancestral information. The epigenetic landscape in sperm is highly responsive to environmental cues, due to, in part, the soma-to-germline communication mediated by epididymosomes. While human epidemiological studies and experimental animal studies have provided solid evidences in support of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, how ancestral information is memorized as epigenetic codes for germline transmission is poorly understood. Particular elusive is what the downstream effector pathways that decode those epigenetic codes into persistent phenotypes. In this review, we discuss the paternal reprogramming of offspring phenotype and the possible underlying epigenetic mechanisms. Cracking these epigenetic mechanisms will lead to a better appreciation of "Paternal Origins of Health and Disease" and guide innovation of intervention algorithms to achieve 'healthier' outcomes in future generations. All this will revolutionize our understanding of human disease etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wu
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Kejia Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Kaifeng Guan
- School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Faheem Ahmed Khan
- Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta Pusat, 10340, Indonesia
| | | | - Windu Negara
- Research Center for Animal Husbandry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Jakarta Pusat, 10340, Indonesia
| | - Fei Sun
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
| | - Chunjie Huang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.
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3
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Dittrich M, Bernhardt L, Penfold CA, Boroviak TE, Drummer C, Behr R, Müller T, Haaf T. Age-related and species-specific methylation changes in the protein-coding marmoset sperm epigenome. Aging Cell 2024:e14200. [PMID: 38757354 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The sperm epigenome is thought to affect the developmental programming of the resulting embryo, influencing health and disease in later life. Age-related methylation changes in the sperm of old fathers may mediate the increased risks for reproductive and offspring medical problems. The impact of paternal age on sperm methylation has been extensively studied in humans and, to a lesser extent, in rodents and cattle. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of paternal age effects on protein-coding genes in the human and marmoset sperm methylomes. The marmoset has gained growing importance as a non-human primate model of aging and age-related diseases. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, we identified age-related differentially methylated transcription start site (ageTSS) regions in 204 marmoset and 27 human genes. The direction of methylation changes was the opposite, increasing with age in marmosets and decreasing in humans. None of the identified ageTSS was differentially methylated in both species. Although the average methylation levels of all TSS regions were highly correlated between marmosets and humans, with the majority of TSS being hypomethylated in sperm, more than 300 protein-coding genes were endowed with species-specifically (hypo)methylated TSS. Several genes of the glycosphingolipid (GSL) biosynthesis pathway, which plays a role in embryonic stem cell differentiation and regulation of development, were hypomethylated (<5%) in human and fully methylated (>95%) in marmoset sperm. The expression levels and patterns of defined sets of GSL genes differed considerably between human and marmoset pre-implantation embryo stages and blastocyst tissues, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Dittrich
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Laura Bernhardt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christopher A Penfold
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thorsten E Boroviak
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Charis Drummer
- Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Behr
- Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Müller
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
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4
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Cheng Y, Feng J, Wang J, Zhou Y, Bai S, Tang Q, Li J, Pan F, Xu Q, Lu C, Wu W, Xia Y. Alterations in sperm DNA methylation may as a mediator of paternal air pollution exposure and offspring birth outcomes: Insight from a birth cohort study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 244:117941. [PMID: 38103775 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Paternal exposure to environmental risk factors influences the offspring health. This study aimed to evaluate the association between paternal air pollution exposure mediated by sperm DNA methylation and adverse birth outcomes in offspring. We recruited 1607 fertile men and their partners from 2014 to 2016 and collected semen samples to detect sperm DNA methylation. Multivariate linear regression and weighted quantile sum regression models were used to assess the associations between paternal air pollution exposure and offspring birth outcomes. A critical exposure window was identified. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing was used to detect sperm DNA methylation. The results demonstrated that high paternal exposure to PM2.5 (β = -211.31, 95% CI: (-386.37, -36.24)), PM10 (β = -178.20, 95% CI: (-277.13, -79.27)), and NO2 (β = -84.22, 95% CI: (-165.86, -2.57)) was negatively associated with offspring's birthweight, especially in boys. Additionally, an early exposure window of 15-69 days before fertilization was recognized to be the key exposure window, which increased the risk of low birth weight and small for gestational age. Furthermore, paternal co-exposure to six air pollutants contributed to lower birthweight (β = -51.91, 95% CI: (-92.72, -11.10)) and shorter gestational age (β = -1.72, 95% CI: (-3.26, -0.17)) and PM2.5 was the most weighted pollutant. Paternal air pollution exposure resulted in 10,328 differentially methylated regions and the IGF2R gene was the key gene involved in the epigenetic process. These differentially methylated genes were predominantly associated with protein binding, transcriptional regulation, and DNA templating. These findings indicate that spermatogenesis is a susceptible window during which paternal exposure to air pollution affects sperm DNA methylation and the birth outcomes of offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jialin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yijie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shengjun Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiuqin Tang
- Department of Obstetrics, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinhui Li
- Department of Urology, Stanford Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Feng Pan
- Department of Urology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuncheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yankai Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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5
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Xiong YW, Zhu HL, Zhang J, Geng H, Tan LL, Zheng XM, Li H, Fan LL, Wang XR, Zhang XD, Wang KW, Chang W, Zhang YF, Yuan Z, Duan ZL, Cao YX, He XJ, Xu DX, Wang H. Multigenerational paternal obesity enhances the susceptibility to male subfertility in offspring via Wt1 N6-methyladenosine modification. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1353. [PMID: 38355624 PMCID: PMC10866985 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45675-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
There is strong evidence that obesity is a risk factor for poor semen quality. However, the effects of multigenerational paternal obesity on the susceptibility to cadmium (a reproductive toxicant)-induced spermatogenesis disorders in offspring remain unknown. Here, we show that, in mice, spermatogenesis and retinoic acid levels become progressively lower as the number of generations exposed to a high-fat diet increase. Furthermore, exposing several generations of mice to a high fat diet results in a decrease in the expression of Wt1, a transcription factor upstream of the enzymes that synthesize retinoic acid. These effects can be rescued by injecting adeno-associated virus 9-Wt1 into the mouse testes of the offspring. Additionally, multigenerational paternal high-fat diet progressively increases METTL3 and Wt1 N6-methyladenosine levels in the testes of offspring mice. Mechanistically, treating the fathers with STM2457, a METTL3 inhibitor, restores obesity-reduced sperm count, and decreases Wt1 N6-methyladenosine level in the mouse testes of the offspring. A case-controlled study shows that human donors who are overweight or obese exhibit elevated N6-methyladenosine levels in sperm and decreased sperm concentration. Collectively, these results indicate that multigenerational paternal obesity enhances the susceptibility of the offspring to spermatogenesis disorders by increasing METTL3-mediated Wt1 N6-methyladenosine modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Wei Xiong
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Hua-Long Zhu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Hao Geng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China
| | - Lu-Lu Tan
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Xin-Mei Zheng
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Long-Long Fan
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Xin-Run Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Xu-Dong Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Kai-Wen Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Chang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Yu-Feng Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Zhi Yuan
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China
| | - Zong-Liu Duan
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yun-Xia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiao-Jin He
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China.
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - De-Xiang Xu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Hefei, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China.
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Miyahara K, Tatehana M, Kikkawa T, Osumi N. Investigating the impact of paternal aging on murine sperm miRNA profiles and their potential link to autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20608. [PMID: 38062235 PMCID: PMC10703820 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47878-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Paternal aging has consistently been linked to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in offspring. Recent evidence has highlighted the involvement of epigenetic factors. In this study, we aimed to investigate age-related alterations in microRNA (miRNA) profiles of mouse sperm and analyze target genes regulated by differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs). Microarray analyses were conducted on sperm samples from mice at different ages: 3 months (3 M), over 12 M, and beyond 20 M. We identified 26 miRNAs with differential expression between the 3 and 20 M mice, 34 miRNAs between the 12 and 20 M mice, and 2 miRNAs between the 3 and 12 M mice. The target genes regulated by these miRNAs were significantly associated with apoptosis/ferroptosis pathways and the nervous system. We revealed alterations in sperm miRNA profiles due to aging and suggest that the target genes regulated by these DEmiRNAs are associated with apoptosis and the nervous system, implying a potential link between paternal aging and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD. The observed age-related changes in sperm miRNA profiles have the potential to impact sperm quality and subsequently affect offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazusa Miyahara
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Misako Tatehana
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takako Kikkawa
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
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7
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Potabattula R, Prell A, Dittrich M, Nava C, Depienne C, Bejaoui Y, El Hajj N, Hahn T, Schorsch M, Haaf T. Effects of paternal and chronological age on BEGAIN methylation and its possible role in autism. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:12763-12779. [PMID: 38019471 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Children from old fathers carry an increased risk for autism spectrum (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders, which may at least partially be mediated by paternal age effects on the sperm epigenome. The brain enriched guanylate kinase associated (BEGAIN) protein is involved in protein-protein interactions at and transmission across synapses. Since several epigenome-wide methylation screens reported a paternal age effect on sperm BEGAIN methylation, here we confirmed a significant negative correlation between BEGAIN promoter methylation and paternal age, using more sensitive bisulfite pyrosequencing and a larger number of sperm samples. Paternal age-associated BEGAIN hypomethylation was also observed in fetal cord blood (FCB) of male but not of female offspring. There was no comparable maternal age effect on FCB methylation. In addition, we found a significant negative correlation between BEGAIN methylation and chronological age (ranging from 1 to 70 years) in peripheral blood samples of male but not of female donors. BEGAIN hypomethylation was more pronounced in male children, adolescents and adults suffering from ASD compared to controls. Both genetic variation (CC genotype of SNP rs7141087) and epigenetic factors may contribute to BEGAIN promoter hypomethylation. The age- and sex-specific BEGAIN methylation trajectories in the male germ line and somatic tissues, in particular the brain, support a role of this gene in ASD development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramya Potabattula
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Prell
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Dittrich
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Caroline Nava
- U.F. de Neurogénétique Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Dpt. de Génétique et Cytogénétique, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Christel Depienne
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Yosra Bejaoui
- College of Health and Life Sciences and College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nady El Hajj
- College of Health and Life Sciences and College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
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8
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Malamitsi-Puchner A, Briana DD. Advanced parental age affects cardiometabolic risk in offspring. Acta Paediatr 2023; 112:2307-2311. [PMID: 37410550 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Advanced age at conception usually refers to human mothers aged 35 years plus and fathers aged 40 years plus. Advanced parental age may be responsible for genetic and/or epigenetic alterations and may affect the health of offspring. Limited epidemiological and experimental studies have addressed the effect of advanced parental age on cardio-metabolic functions in human and rodent offspring. This mini review aimed to present the knowledge by focusing on adverse and favourable outcomes related to sex-specific risks and intergenerational inheritance. The outcomes identified by this review were mainly negative, but there were also some positive results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadne Malamitsi-Puchner
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Despina D Briana
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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9
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Chu B, Liu Z, Liu Y, Jiang H. The Role of Advanced Parental Age in Reproductive Genetics. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:2907-2919. [PMID: 37171772 PMCID: PMC10556127 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01256-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The increase of parental reproductive age is a worldwide trend in modern society in recent decades. In general, older parents have a significant impact on reproductive genetics and the health of offspring. In particular, advanced parental age contributes to the increase in the risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. However, it is currently under debate how and to what extent the health of future generations was affected by the parental age. In this review, we aimed to (i) provide an overview of the effects of age on the fertility and biology of the reproductive organs of the parents, (ii) highlight the candidate biological mechanisms underlying reproductive genetic alterations, and (iii) discuss the relevance of the effect of parental age on offspring between animal experiment and clinical observation. In addition, we think that the impact of environmental factors on cognitive and emotional development of older offspring will be an interesting direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boling Chu
- Department of Biobank, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, 629000, China
| | - Zhi Liu
- Department of Pathology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, 629000, China
| | - Yihong Liu
- College of Humanities And Management, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- Department of Biobank, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, 629000, China.
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10
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Mai L, Inada H, Osumi N. Whole-brain mapping of neuronal activity evoked by maternal separation in neonatal mice: An association with ultrasound vocalization. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2023. [PMID: 37128179 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonatal mice emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) when separated from their mothers. Since the USVs attract their mothers' attention and trigger maternal retrieval, they are considered to serve as social signals for communication. We have modeled paternal aging effects on the vocal communication of offspring in mice. However, little is known about the neural basis underlying neonatal USV production. To identify responsible brain regions driving the vocal behavior, we comprehensively mapped the neuronal activity associated with USV production in the entire brain of mice at postnatal day 6 (P6). Using an expression of immediate-early gene c-Fos as a neuronal activity marker, correlations between the numbers of USVs and c-Fos positive neurons were analyzed. We identified 23 candidate brain regions associated with USV production in the mice at P6. Our study would be a first step toward comprehensively understanding the neuronal mechanisms that regulate and develop vocal behaviors in neonatal mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Mai
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Inada
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
- Laboratory of Health and Sports Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering for Health and Welfare, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
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11
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Zhao J, Huai J. Role of primary aging hallmarks in Alzheimer´s disease. Theranostics 2023; 13:197-230. [PMID: 36593969 PMCID: PMC9800733 DOI: 10.7150/thno.79535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, which severely threatens the health of the elderly and causes significant economic and social burdens. The causes of AD are complex and include heritable but mostly aging-related factors. The primary aging hallmarks include genomic instability, telomere wear, epigenetic changes, and loss of protein stability, which play a dominant role in the aging process. Although AD is closely associated with the aging process, the underlying mechanisms involved in AD pathogenesis have not been well characterized. This review summarizes the available literature about primary aging hallmarks and their roles in AD pathogenesis. By analyzing published literature, we attempted to uncover the possible mechanisms of aberrant epigenetic markers with related enzymes, transcription factors, and loss of proteostasis in AD. In particular, the importance of oxidative stress-induced DNA methylation and DNA methylation-directed histone modifications and proteostasis are highlighted. A molecular network of gene regulatory elements that undergoes a dynamic change with age may underlie age-dependent AD pathogenesis, and can be used as a new drug target to treat AD.
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12
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Dong S, Chen C, Zhang J, Gao Y, Zeng X, Zhang X. Testicular aging, male fertility and beyond. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1012119. [PMID: 36313743 PMCID: PMC9606211 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1012119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Normal spermatogenesis and sperm function are crucial for male fertility. The effects of healthy testicular aging and testicular premature aging on spermatogenesis, sperm function, and the spermatogenesis microenvironment cannot be ignored. Compared with younger men, the testis of older men tends to have disturbed spermatogenic processes, sperm abnormalities, sperm dysfunction, and impaired Sertoli and Leydig cells, which ultimately results in male infertility. Various exogenous and endogenous factors also contribute to pathological testicular premature aging, such as adverse environmental stressors and gene mutations. Mechanistically, Y-chromosomal microdeletions, increase in telomere length and oxidative stress, accumulation of DNA damage with decreased repair ability, alterations in epigenetic modifications, miRNA and lncRNA expression abnormalities, have been associated with impaired male fertility due to aging. In recent years, the key molecules and signaling pathways that regulate testicular aging and premature aging have been identified, thereby providing new strategies for diagnosis and treatment. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the underlying mechanisms of aging on spermatogenesis. Furthermore, potential rescue measures for reproductive aging have been discussed. Finally, the inadequacy of testicular aging research and future directions for research have been envisaged to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of testicular aging and premature aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijue Dong
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jiali Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Laboratory Animal Center, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xuhui Zeng
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xiaoning Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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13
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Batra V, Norman E, Morgan HL, Watkins AJ. Parental Programming of Offspring Health: The Intricate Interplay between Diet, Environment, Reproduction and Development. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12091289. [PMID: 36139133 PMCID: PMC9496505 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
As adults, our health can be influenced by a range of lifestyle and environmental factors, increasing the risk for developing a series of non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Over the past few decades, our understanding of how our adult health can be shaped by events occurring before birth has developed into a well-supported concept, the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Supported by epidemiological data and experimental studies, specific mechanisms have been defined linking environmental perturbations, disrupted fetal and neonatal development and adult ill-health. Originally, such studies focused on the significance of poor maternal health during pregnancy. However, the role of the father in directing the development and well-being of his offspring has come into recent focus. Whereas these studies identify the individual role of each parent in shaping the long-term health of their offspring, few studies have explored the combined influences of both parents on offspring well-being. Such understanding is necessary as parental influences on offspring development extend beyond the direct genetic contributions from the sperm and oocyte. This article reviews our current understanding of the parental contribution to offspring health, exploring some of the mechanisms linking parental well-being with gamete quality, embryo development and offspring health.
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14
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Ashapkin V, Suvorov A, Pilsner JR, Krawetz SA, Sergeyev O. Age-associated epigenetic changes in mammalian sperm: implications for offspring health and development. Hum Reprod Update 2022; 29:24-44. [PMID: 36066418 PMCID: PMC9825272 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmac033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modern reproductive behavior in most developed countries is characterized by delayed parenthood. Older gametes are generally less fertile, accumulating and compounding the effects of varied environmental exposures that are modified by lifestyle factors. Clinicians are primarily concerned with advanced maternal age, while the influence of paternal age on fertility, early development and offspring health remains underappreciated. There is a growing trend to use assisted reproductive technologies for couples of advanced reproductive age. Thus, the number of children born from older gametes is increasing. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE We review studies reporting age-associated epigenetic changes in mammals and humans in sperm, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs. The interplay between environment, fertility, ART and age-related epigenetic signatures is explored. We focus on the association of sperm epigenetics on epigenetic and phenotype events in embryos and offspring. SEARCH METHODS Peer-reviewed original and review articles over the last two decades were selected using PubMed and the Web of Science for this narrative review. Searches were performed by adopting the two groups of main terms. The first group included 'advanced paternal age', 'paternal age', 'postponed fatherhood', 'late fatherhood', 'old fatherhood' and the second group included 'sperm epigenetics', 'sperm', 'semen', 'epigenetic', 'inheritance', 'DNA methylation', 'chromatin', 'non-coding RNA', 'assisted reproduction', 'epigenetic clock'. OUTCOMES Age is a powerful factor in humans and rodent models associated with increased de novo mutations and a modified sperm epigenome. Age affects all known epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and profiles of small non-coding (snc)RNA. While DNA methylation is the most investigated, there is a controversy about the direction of age-dependent changes in differentially hypo- or hypermethylated regions with advanced age. Successful development of the human sperm epigenetic clock based on cross-sectional data and four different methods for DNA methylation analysis indicates that at least some CpG exhibit a linear relationship between methylation levels and age. Rodent studies show a significant overlap between genes regulated through age-dependent differentially methylated regions and genes targeted by age-dependent sncRNA. Both age-dependent epigenetic mechanisms target gene networks enriched for embryo developmental, neurodevelopmental, growth and metabolic pathways. Thus, age-dependent changes in the sperm epigenome cannot be described as a stochastic accumulation of random epimutations and may be linked with autism spectrum disorders. Chemical and lifestyle exposures and ART techniques may affect the epigenetic aging of sperm. Although most epigenetic modifications are erased in the early mammalian embryo, there is growing evidence that an altered offspring epigenome and phenotype is linked with advanced paternal age due to the father's sperm accumulating epigenetic changes with time. It has been hypothesized that age-induced changes in the sperm epigenome are profound, physiological and dynamic over years, yet stable over days and months, and likely irreversible. WIDER IMPLICATIONS This review raises a concern about delayed fatherhood and age-associated changes in the sperm epigenome that may compromise reproductive health of fathers and transfer altered epigenetic information to subsequent generations. Prospective studies using healthy males that consider confounders are recommended. We suggest a broader discussion focused on regulation of the father's age in natural and ART conceptions is needed. The professional community should be informed and should raise awareness in the population and when counseling older men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - J Richard Pilsner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Stephen A Krawetz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA,Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Correspondence address. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskye Gory, House 1, Building 40, Room 322, Moscow 119992, Russia. E-mail: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5745-3348
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15
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Hua L, Chen W, Meng Y, Qin M, Yan Z, Yang R, Liu Q, Wei Y, Zhao Y, Yan L, Qiao J. The combination of DNA methylome and transcriptome revealed the intergenerational inheritance on the influence of advanced maternal age. Clin Transl Med 2022; 12:e990. [PMID: 36103411 PMCID: PMC9473489 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number of women delivering at advanced maternal age (AMA; > = 35) continuously increases in developed and high-income countries. Large cohort studies have associated AMA with increased risks of various pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes, which raises great concerns about the adverse effect of AMA on the long-term health of offspring. Specific acquired characteristics of parents can be passed on to descendants through certain molecular mechanisms, yet the underlying connection between AMA-related alterations in parents and that in offspring remains largely uncharted. METHODS We profiled the DNA methylomes of paired parental peripheral bloods and cord bloods from 20 nuclear families, including 10 AMA and 10 Young, and additional transcriptomes of 10 paired maternal peripheral bloods and cord bloods. RESULTS We revealed that AMA induced aging-like changes in DNA methylome and gene expression in both parents and offspring. The expression changes in several genes, such as SLC28A3, were highly relevant to the disorder in DNA methylation. In addition, AMA-related differentially methylated regions (DMRs) identified in mother and offspring groups showed remarkable similarities in both genomic locations and biological functions, mainly involving neuron differentiation, metabolism, and histone modification pathways. AMA-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) shared by mother and offspring groups were highly enriched in the processes of immune cell activation and mitotic nuclear division. We further uncovered developmental-dependent dynamics for the DNA methylation of intergenerationally correlated DMRs during pre-implantation embryonic development, as well as diverse gene expression patterns during gametogenesis and early embryonic development for those common AMA-related DEGs presenting intergenerational correlation, such as CD24. Moreover, some intergenerational DEGs, typified by HTRA3, also showed the same significant alterations in AMA MII oocyte or blastocyst. CONCLUSIONS Our results reveal potential intergenerational inheritance of both AMA-related DNA methylome and transcriptome and provide new insights to understand health problems in AMA offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyue Hua
- Center for Reproductive MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Peking UniversityMinistry of EducationBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Reproductive MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Peking UniversityMinistry of EducationBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Yan Meng
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyBeijing Jishuitan Hospital, Fourth Clinical College of Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Meng Qin
- Center for Reproductive MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Peking UniversityMinistry of EducationBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Zhiqiang Yan
- Center for Reproductive MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Peking UniversityMinistry of EducationBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Rui Yang
- Center for Reproductive MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Peking UniversityMinistry of EducationBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Qiang Liu
- Center for Reproductive MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Peking UniversityMinistry of EducationBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Yuan Wei
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Center for Healthcare Quality Management in ObstetricsBeijingChina
| | - Yangyu Zhao
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Center for Healthcare Quality Management in ObstetricsBeijingChina
| | - Liying Yan
- Center for Reproductive MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Peking UniversityMinistry of EducationBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive TechnologyBeijingChina
| | - Jie Qiao
- Center for Reproductive MedicineDepartment of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Peking UniversityMinistry of EducationBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproductive TechnologyBeijingChina
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyPeking University Third HospitalBeijingChina
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for GenomicsBeijingChina
- Peking‐Tsinghua Center for Life SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Research Units of Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment of Oocyte Maturation Arrest, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
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16
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Mai L, Inada H, Kimura R, Kanno K, Matsuda T, Tachibana RO, Tucci V, Komaki F, Hiroi N, Osumi N. Advanced paternal age diversifies individual trajectories of vocalization patterns in neonatal mice. iScience 2022; 25:104834. [PMID: 36039363 PMCID: PMC9418688 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant crying is a communicative behavior impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Because advanced paternal age is a risk factor for NDDs, we performed computational approaches to evaluate how paternal age affected vocal communication and body weight development in C57BL/6 mouse offspring from young and aged fathers. Analyses of ultrasonic vocalization (USV) consisting of syllables showed that advanced paternal age reduced the number and duration of syllables, altered the syllable composition, and caused lower body weight gain in pups. Pups born to young fathers had convergent vocal characteristics with a rich repertoire, whereas those born to aged fathers exhibited more divergent vocal patterns with limited repertoire. Additional analyses revealed that some pups from aged fathers displayed atypical USV trajectories. Thus, our study indicates that advanced paternal age has a significant effect on offspring's vocal development. Our computational analyses are effective in characterizing altered individual diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Mai
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Inada
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.,Laboratory of Health and Sports Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering for Health and Welfare, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Kimura
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.,Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kouta Kanno
- Faculty of Law, Economics and Humanities, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Takeru Matsuda
- Statistical Mathematics Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ryosuke O Tachibana
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Valter Tucci
- Genetics and Epigenetics of Behavior (GEB) Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Fumiyasu Komaki
- Department of Mathematical Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.,Mathematical Informatics Collaboration Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako 351-0198, Japan
| | - Noboru Hiroi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio 78229, USA.,Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio 78229, USA.,Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio 78229, USA
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
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17
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Tanaka M, Sato A, Kotajima-Murakami H, Kashii H, Hagino Y, Ide S, Ikeda K. Interaction between social behavior and paternal age in offspring of the same paternal mice. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2022; 42:343-346. [PMID: 35587235 PMCID: PMC9515711 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Previous studies reported that advanced paternal age (APA) may increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. However, effects of APA on behaviors have not been investigated in offspring of the same paternal mice. The present study sought to identify behavioral differences in mouse offspring of the same fathers at different paternal ages. METHODS We assessed locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, and social behavior in male mouse offspring that were born from the same fathers at three different paternal ages (3, 12, and 15 months old). RESULTS No differences in locomotor activity or anxiety-like behavior were observed among any of the offspring groups. In the three-chamber test, although the control group (3-month-old paternal age) exhibited significantly higher approach behavior toward the novel mouse compared with the novel object, the APA groups (12- and 15-month-old paternal ages) did not exhibit significant approach toward the novel mouse. CONCLUSION Offspring of 3-month-old fathers but not 12- or 15-month-old APA fathers exhibited social preference behavior. Although the present study was only exploratory, it demonstrated an interaction between social behavior and paternal age in offspring of the same paternal mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Tanaka
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sato
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Hirofumi Kashii
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoko Hagino
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Soichiro Ide
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Ikeda
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
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18
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Prell A, Sen MO, Potabattula R, Bernhardt L, Dittrich M, Hahn T, Schorsch M, Zacchini F, Ptak GE, Niemann H, Haaf T. Species-Specific Paternal Age Effects and Sperm Methylation Levels of Developmentally Important Genes. Cells 2022; 11:cells11040731. [PMID: 35203380 PMCID: PMC8870257 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing number of sperm methylome analyses have identified genomic loci that are susceptible to paternal age effects in a variety of mammalian species, including human, bovine, and mouse. However, there is little overlap between different data sets. Here, we studied whether or not paternal age effects on the sperm epigenome have been conserved in mammalian evolution and compared methylation patterns of orthologous regulatory regions (mainly gene promoters) containing both conserved and non-conserved CpG sites in 94 human, 36 bovine, and 94 mouse sperm samples, using bisulfite pyrosequencing. We discovered three (NFKB2, RASGEF1C, and RPL6) age-related differentially methylated regions (ageDMRs) in humans, four (CHD7, HDAC11, PAK1, and PTK2B) in bovines, and three (Def6, Nrxn2, and Tbx19) in mice. Remarkably, the identified sperm ageDMRs were all species-specific. Most ageDMRs were in genomic regions with medium methylation levels and large methylation variation. Orthologous regions in species not showing this age effect were either hypermethylated (>80%) or hypomethylated (<20%). In humans and mice, ageDMRs lost methylation, whereas bovine ageDMRs gained methylation with age. Our results are in line with the hypothesis that sperm ageDMRs are in regions under epigenomic evolution and may be part of an epigenetic mechanism(s) for lineage-specific environmental adaptations and provide a solid basis for studies on downstream effects in the genes analyzed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Prell
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (A.P.); (M.O.S.); (R.P.); (L.B.); (M.D.)
| | - Mustafa Orkun Sen
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (A.P.); (M.O.S.); (R.P.); (L.B.); (M.D.)
| | - Ramya Potabattula
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (A.P.); (M.O.S.); (R.P.); (L.B.); (M.D.)
| | - Laura Bernhardt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (A.P.); (M.O.S.); (R.P.); (L.B.); (M.D.)
| | - Marcus Dittrich
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (A.P.); (M.O.S.); (R.P.); (L.B.); (M.D.)
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Hahn
- Fertility Center, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany; (T.H.); (M.S.)
| | | | - Federica Zacchini
- PERCUROS BV, 2333 CL Leiden, The Netherlands;
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland;
- Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King’s College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Grazyna Ewa Ptak
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Heiner Niemann
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Medical University Hannover, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, 97074 Würzburg, Germany; (A.P.); (M.O.S.); (R.P.); (L.B.); (M.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-931-3188738
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19
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Saito T, Whatmore P, Taylor JF, Fernandes JMO, Adam AC, Tocher DR, Espe M, Skjærven KH. Micronutrient supplementation affects DNA methylation in male gonads with potential intergenerational epigenetic inheritance involving the embryonic development through glutamate receptor-associated genes. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:115. [PMID: 35144563 PMCID: PMC8832813 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08348-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation has an important role in intergenerational inheritance. An increasing number of studies have reported evidence of germline inheritance of DNA methylation induced by nutritional signals in mammals. Vitamins and minerals as micronutrients contribute to growth performance in vertebrates, including Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and also have a role in epigenetics as environmental factors that alter DNA methylation status. It is important to understand whether micronutrients in the paternal diet can influence the offspring through alterations of DNA methylation signatures in male germ cells. RESULTS Here, we show the effect of micronutrient supplementation on DNA methylation profiles in the male gonad through a whole life cycle feeding trial of Atlantic salmon fed three graded levels of micronutrient components. Our results strongly indicate that micronutrient supplementation affects the DNA methylation status of genes associated with cell signalling, synaptic signalling, and embryonic development. In particular, it substantially affects DNA methylation status in the promoter region of a glutamate receptor gene, glutamate receptor ionotropic, NMDA 3A-like (grin3a-like), when the fish are fed both medium and high doses of micronutrients. Furthermore, two transcription factors, histone deacetylase 2 (hdac2) and a zinc finger protein, bind to the hyper-methylated site in the grin3a-like promoter. An estimated function of hdac2 together with a zinc finger indicates that grin3a-like has a potential role in intergenerational epigenetic inheritance and the regulation of embryonic development affected by paternal diet. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates alterations of gene expression patterns and DNA methylation signatures in the male gonad when Atlantic salmon are fed different levels of micronutrients. Alterations of gene expression patterns are of great interest because the gonads are supposed to have limited metabolic activities compared to other organs, whereas alterations of DNA methylation signatures are of great importance in the field of nutritional epigenetics because the signatures affected by nutrition could be transferred to the next generation. We provide extensive data resources for future work in the context of potential intergenerational inheritance through the male germline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John F Taylor
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | | | | | - Douglas R Tocher
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - Marit Espe
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
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20
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Sato A, Kotajima-Murakami H, Tanaka M, Katoh Y, Ikeda K. Influence of Prenatal Drug Exposure, Maternal Inflammation, and Parental Aging on the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:821455. [PMID: 35222122 PMCID: PMC8863673 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.821455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects reciprocal social interaction and produces abnormal repetitive, restrictive behaviors and interests. The diverse causes of ASD are divided into genetic alterations and environmental risks. The prevalence of ASD has been rising for several decades, which might be related to environmental risks as it is difficult to consider that the prevalence of genetic disorders related to ASD would increase suddenly. The latter includes (1) exposure to medications, such as valproic acid (VPA) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (2), maternal complications during pregnancy, including infection and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and (3) high parental age. Epidemiological studies have indicated a pathogenetic role of prenatal exposure to VPA and maternal inflammation in the development of ASD. VPA is considered to exert its deleterious effects on the fetal brain through several distinct mechanisms, such as alterations of γ-aminobutyric acid signaling, the inhibition of histone deacetylase, the disruption of folic acid metabolism, and the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin. Maternal inflammation that is caused by different stimuli converges on a higher load of proinflammatory cytokines in the fetal brain. Rodent models of maternal exposure to SSRIs generate ASD-like behavior in offspring, but clinical correlations with these preclinical findings are inconclusive. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and advanced parental age increase the risk of ASD in humans, but the mechanisms have been poorly investigated in animal models. Evidence of the mechanisms by which environmental factors are related to ASD is discussed, which may contribute to the development of preventive and therapeutic interventions for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Sato
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Miho Tanaka
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Katoh
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Ikeda
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
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21
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Matsui Y, Hayashi Y. Metabolic pathways regulating the development and non-genomic heritable traits of germ cells. J Reprod Dev 2021; 68:96-103. [PMID: 34955463 PMCID: PMC8979796 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2021-137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolism is an important cellular process necessary not only for producing energy and building blocks for cells, but also for regulating various cell functions, including intracellular
signaling, epigenomic effects, and transcription. The regulatory roles of metabolism have been extensively studied in somatic cells, including stem cells and cancer cells, but data regarding
germ cells are limited. Because germ cells produce individuals of subsequent generations, understanding the role of metabolism and its regulatory functions in germ cells is important.
Although limited information concerning the specific role of metabolism in germ cells is available, recent advances in related research have revealed specific metabolic states of
undifferentiated germ cells in embryos as well as in germ cells undergoing oogenesis and spermatogenesis. Studies have also elucidated the functions of some metabolic pathways associated
with germ cell development and the non-genomic heritable machinery of germ cells. In this review, we summarized all the available knowledge on the characteristic metabolic pathways in germ
cells, focusing on their regulatory functions, while discussing the issues that need to be addressed to enhance the understanding of germ cell metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhisa Matsui
- Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan.,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan.,Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yohei Hayashi
- Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer (IDAC), Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan.,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan.,Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
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22
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Cheuquemán C, Maldonado R. Non-coding RNAs and chromatin: key epigenetic factors from spermatogenesis to transgenerational inheritance. Biol Res 2021; 54:41. [PMID: 34930477 PMCID: PMC8686607 DOI: 10.1186/s40659-021-00364-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular fate and gene expression patterns are modulated by different epigenetic factors including non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and chromatin organization. Both factors are dynamic throughout male germ cell differentiation on the seminiferous tubule, despite the transcriptional inactivation in the last stages of spermatogenesis. Sperm maturation during the caput-to-cauda transit on the epididymis involves changes in chromatin organization and the soma-to-germ line transference of ncRNAs that are essential to obtain a functional sperm for fertilization and embryo development. Here, the male environment (diseases, drugs, mental stress) is crucial to modulate these epigenetic factors throughout sperm maturation, affecting the corresponding offspring. Paternal transgenerational inheritance has been directly related to sperm epigenetic changes, most of them associated with variations in the ncRNA content and chromatin marks. Our aim is to give an overview about how epigenetics, focused on ncRNAs and chromatin, is pivotal to understand spermatogenesis and sperm maturation, and how the male environment impacts the sperm epigenome modulating the offspring gene expression pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Cheuquemán
- Núcleo de Ciencias Biológicas, Dirección de Núcleos Transversales, Facultad de estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Mayor, Temuco, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Maldonado
- Institute of Anatomy, Histology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
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23
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Zacchini F, Sampino S, Zietek M, Chan A. Delayed parenthood and its influence on offspring health: What have we learned from the mouse model. Biol Reprod 2021; 106:58-65. [PMID: 34725675 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Delayed parenthood is constantly increasing worldwide due to various socio-economic factors. In the last decade, a growing number of epidemiological studies have suggested a link between advanced parental age and an increased risk of diseases in the offspring. Also, poor reproductive outcome has been described in pregnancies conceived by aged parents. Similarly, animal studies showed that aging negatively affects gametes, early embryonic development, pregnancy progression and the postnatal phenotype of resulting offspring. However, how and to what extent parental age is a risk factor for the health of future generations is still subject to debate. Notwithstanding the limitation of an animal model, the mouse model represents a useful tool to understand not only the influence of parental age on offspring phenotype but also the biological mechanisms underlying the poor reproductive outcome and the occurrence of diseases in the descendants. The present review aims at i) providing an overview of the current knowledge from mouse model about the risks associated with conception at advanced age (e.g. neurodevelopmental and metabolic disorders), ii) highlighting the candidate biological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, and iii) discussing on how murine-derived data can be relevant to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Zacchini
- Percuros BV, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Wolfson Center for Age Related Diseases, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvestre Sampino
- Department of Experimental Embryology, IGAB PAS, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Marta Zietek
- Department of Experimental Embryology, IGAB PAS, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Alan Chan
- Percuros BV, Leiden, The Netherlands
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24
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Zhao S, Xu J, Zhang W, Yan W, Li G. Paternal exposure to microcystin-LR triggers developmental neurotoxicity in zebrafish offspring via an epigenetic mechanism involving MAPK pathway. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148437. [PMID: 34153754 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microcystin-LR (MCLR) induced impairment to male reproductive system and revealed the effects of transgenerational toxicity on offspring. But very little is known about the inheritance of these effects to offspring and the mechanisms involved. Here, we used methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-Seq) and microarray to characterize whole-genome DNA methylation and mRNA expression patterns in zebrafish testis after 6-week exposure to 5 and 20 μg/L MCLR. Accompanied with these analyses it revealed that MAPK pathway and ER pathway significantly enriched in zebrafish testes. Apoptosis and testicular damage were also observed in testis. Next, we test the transmission of effects to compare control-father and MCLR exposure-father progenies. DNA methylation analyses (via reduced representation bisulfite sequencing) reveal that the enrichment of differentially methylated regions on neurodevelopment after paternal MCLR exposure. Meanwhile, several genes associated with neurodevelopment were markedly downregulated in zebrafish larvae, and swimming speed was also reduced in the larvae. Interestingly, paternal MCLR exposure also triggered activation the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway which is also associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. These results demonstrated the significant effect that paternal MCLR exposure may have on gene-specific DNA methylation patterns in testis. Inherited epigenetic alterations through the germline may be the mechanism leading to developmental neurotoxicity in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujuan Zhao
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jiayi Xu
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Weiyun Zhang
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Wei Yan
- Institute of Agricultural Quality Standards & Testing Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China
| | - Guangyu Li
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
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25
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Rocchi A, Carminati E, De Fusco A, Kowalska JA, Floss T, Benfenati F. REST/NRSF deficiency impairs autophagy and leads to cellular senescence in neurons. Aging Cell 2021; 20:e13471. [PMID: 34520100 PMCID: PMC8520714 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
During aging, brain performances decline. Cellular senescence is one of the aging drivers and a key feature of a variety of human age‐related disorders. The transcriptional repressor RE1‐silencing transcription factor (REST) has been associated with aging and higher risk of neurodegenerative disorders. However, how REST contributes to the senescence program and functional impairment remains largely unknown. Here, we report that REST is essential to prevent the senescence phenotype in primary mouse neurons. REST deficiency causes failure of autophagy and loss of proteostasis, increased oxidative stress, and higher rate of cell death. Re‐establishment of autophagy reverses the main hallmarks of senescence. Our data indicate that REST has a protective role in physiological aging by regulating the autophagic flux and the senescence program in neurons, with implications for neurological disorders associated with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rocchi
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino Genova Italy
| | - Emanuele Carminati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine University of Genova Genova Italy
| | - Antonio De Fusco
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino Genova Italy
| | | | - Thomas Floss
- Helmholtz Zentrum München Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH) Neuherberg Germany
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino Genova Italy
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26
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Nomura J, Mardo M, Takumi T. Molecular signatures from multi-omics of autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. J Neurochem 2021; 159:647-659. [PMID: 34537986 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) impedes the unification of multiple biological hypotheses in an attempt to explain the complex features of ASD, such as impaired social communication, social interaction deficits, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. However, recent psychiatric genetic studies have identified numerous risk genes and chromosome loci (copy number variation: CNV) which enable us to analyze at the single gene level and utilize system-level approaches. In this review, we focus on ASD as a major neurodevelopmental disorder and review recent findings mainly from the bioinformatics of omics studies. Additionally, by comparing these data with other major psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia (SCZ), we identify unique characteristics of both diseases from multiple enrichment, pathway, and protein-protein interaction networks (PPIs) analyses using susceptible genes found in recent large-scale genetic studies. These unified, systematic approaches highlight unique characteristics of both disorders from multiple aspects and demonstrate how convergent pathways can contribute to an understanding of the complex etiology of such neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Nomura
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Matthew Mardo
- Neuroscience concentration, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Toru Takumi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
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27
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Kimura R, U Inoue Y, Kikkawa T, Tatehana M, Morimoto Y, Inada H, Oki S, Inoue T, Osumi N. Detection of REST expression in the testis using epitope-tag knock-in mice generated by genome editing. Dev Dyn 2021; 251:525-535. [PMID: 34542211 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST) is a master regulator that is highly expressed in multipotent stem cells to repress gene networks involving a wide range of biological processes. A recent study has suggested that REST might be involved in a misregulation of its target genes in the embryonic brain of offspring derived from aged fathers. However, detailed analyses of the REST function in spermatogenesis are lacking due to difficulty in the detection of REST protein in specific cell types. RESULTS To determine localization of REST, we generated an epitope tag knock-in (KI) mouse line with the C-terminus insertion of a podoplanin (PA)-tag at an endogenous Rest locus by the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Localization of the PA-tag was confirmed in neural stem cells marked with Pax6 in the embryonic brain. Moreover, PA-tagged REST was detected in undifferentiated and differentiating spermatogonia as well as Sertoli cells in both neonatal and adult testes. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that REST is expressed at the early step of spermatogenesis and suggest a possibility that REST may modulate the epigenetic state of male germline cells. Our KI mice may be useful for studying REST-associated molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopmental and age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuichi Kimura
- Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yukiko U Inoue
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takako Kikkawa
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Misako Tatehana
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Yuki Morimoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Inada
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.,Laboratory of Health and Sports Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering for Health and Welfare Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Shinya Oki
- Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Inoue
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
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28
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Tando Y, Hiura H, Takehara A, Ito-Matsuoka Y, Arima T, Matsui Y. Epi-mutations for spermatogenic defects by maternal exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. eLife 2021; 10:70322. [PMID: 34319233 PMCID: PMC8318585 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to environmental factors during fetal development may lead to epigenomic modifications in fetal germ cells, altering gene expression and promoting diseases in successive generations. In mouse, maternal exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is known to induce defects in spermatogenesis in successive generations, but the mechanism(s) of impaired spermatogenesis are unclear. Here, we showed that maternal DEHP exposure results in DNA hypermethylation of promoters of spermatogenesis-related genes in fetal testicular germ cells in F1 mice, and hypermethylation of Hist1h2ba, Sycp1, and Taf7l, which are crucial for spermatogenesis, persisted from fetal testicular cells to adult spermatogonia, resulting in the downregulation of expression of these genes. Forced methylation of these gene promoters silenced expression of these loci in a reporter assay. These results suggested that maternal DEHP exposure-induced hypermethylation of Hist1h2ba, Sycp1, and Taf7l results in downregulation of these genes in spermatogonia and subsequent defects in spermatogenesis, at least in the F1 generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Tando
- Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Hiura
- Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Asuka Takehara
- Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yumi Ito-Matsuoka
- Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takahiro Arima
- Department of Informative Genetics, Environment and Genome Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Matsui
- Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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29
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Osumi N, Tatehana M. Transgenerational epigenetic information through the sperm: Sperm cells not just merely supply half of the genome for new life; they also seem to transmit additional information via epigenetic modifications. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e53539. [PMID: 34288347 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202153539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The biological cause for the increase in Autism Spectrum Disorder may be fathers' older age and the epigenetic marks it leaves on sperm cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Misako Tatehana
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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30
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Swegen A. Maternal recognition of pregnancy in the mare: does it exist and why do we care? Reproduction 2021; 161:R139-R155. [PMID: 33957605 PMCID: PMC8183633 DOI: 10.1530/rep-20-0437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) is a process by which an early conceptus signals its presence to the maternal system and prevents the lysis of the corpus luteum, thus ensuring a maternal milieu supportive of pregnancy continuation. It is a fundamental aspect of reproductive biology, yet in the horse, the mechanism underlying MRP remains unknown. This review seeks to address some of the controversies surrounding the evidence and theories of MRP in the equine species, such as the idea that the horse does not conform to the MRP paradigm established in other species or that equine MRP involves a mechanical, rather than chemical, signal. The review examines the challenges of studying this particularly clandestine phenomenon along with the new tools in scientific research that will drive this quest forward in coming years, and discusses the value of knowledge gleaned along this path in the context of clinical applications for improving breeding outcomes in the horse industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleona Swegen
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
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31
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Yoshizaki K, Kimura R, Kobayashi H, Oki S, Kikkawa T, Mai L, Koike K, Mochizuki K, Inada H, Matsui Y, Kono T, Osumi N. Paternal age affects offspring via an epigenetic mechanism involving REST/NRSF. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e51524. [PMID: 33399271 PMCID: PMC7857438 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202051524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced paternal age can have deleterious effects on various traits in the next generation. Here, we establish a paternal‐aging model in mice to understand the molecular mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetics. Whole‐genome target DNA methylome analyses of sperm from aged mice reveal more hypo‐methylated genomic regions enriched in REST/NRSF binding motifs. Gene set enrichment analyses also reveal the upregulation of REST/NRSF target genes in the forebrain of embryos from aged fathers. Offspring derived from young mice administrated with a DNA de‐methylation drug phenocopy the abnormal vocal communication of pups derived from aged fathers. In conclusion, hypo‐methylation of sperm DNA can be a key molecular feature modulating neurodevelopmental programs in offspring by causing fluctuations in the expression of REST/NRSF target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaichi Yoshizaki
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.,Department of Disease Model, Aichi Developmental Disability Center, Aichi, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Kimura
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.,Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hisato Kobayashi
- NODAI Genome Research Center, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Embryology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.,The Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (AMED-CREST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinya Oki
- Department of Drug Discovery Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takako Kikkawa
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Lingling Mai
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kohei Koike
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.,Department of Physiology, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University School of Medicine, Homburg, Germany
| | - Kentaro Mochizuki
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.,Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Inada
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.,Laboratory of Health and Sports Science, Division of Biomedical Engineering for Health and Welfare, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Matsui
- The Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (AMED-CREST), Tokyo, Japan.,Cell Resource Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Kono
- The Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (AMED-CREST), Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.,The Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (AMED-CREST), Tokyo, Japan
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