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Zeid D, Toussaint AB, Dressler C, Harbeck A, Karbalaei R, Cintrón Y, Pan A, Wimmer M. Extended abstinence from morphine alters sperm smRNA expression and prevents transmission of intergenerational phenotypes. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2025; 11:dvaf006. [PMID: 40406632 PMCID: PMC12097204 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvaf006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2024] [Revised: 02/17/2025] [Accepted: 03/19/2025] [Indexed: 05/26/2025]
Abstract
Paternal exposure to drugs of abuse can impact addiction-related behaviours in progeny via germline epigenome remodelling. Previously, we found that offspring of morphine-exposed male rats showed increased morphine-taking, diminished adolescent social play, and increased sensitivity to morphine-derived analgesia. Here, we first tested the impact of a 90-day paternal abstinence period following morphine self-administration on the transmission of the aforementioned phenotypes. The previously observed changes in morphine-related behaviours were no longer present in offspring of morphine-abstinent sires. We next compared small RNA (smRNA) content in sperm collected from four sire intravenous self-administration groups: morphine, saline, abstinent morphine, and abstinent saline. Two smRNAs (rno-miR-150-5p and an snoRNA annotated to Snora42/Noc3l) were differentially expressed specifically between morphine- and saline-treated sperm. No differential expression between abstinent morphine and saline sperm was observed. These data begin to delineate the temporal limits of heritable germline modifications associated with morphine exposure, in addition to identifying F0 germline factors coinciding with the manifestation of F1 multigenerational phenotypes. Furthermore, these data suggest that paternal abstinence at conception can prevent inheritance of germline factors that may alter offspring susceptibility to addiction-related endophenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Zeid
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Andre B Toussaint
- Zuckerman Mind, Brain, and Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Carmen Dressler
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Angela Harbeck
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Reza Karbalaei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Baltimore 21205, United States
| | - Yandrés Cintrón
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Andrew Pan
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Mathieu Wimmer
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
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2
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Wu X, Zhang W, Chen H, Weng J. Multifaceted paternal exposures before conception and their epigenetic impact on offspring. J Assist Reprod Genet 2024; 41:2931-2951. [PMID: 39230664 PMCID: PMC11621294 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-024-03243-1] [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: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
As scientific research progresses, there is an increasing understanding of the importance of paternal epigenetics in influencing the health and developmental path of offspring. Prior to conception, the environmental exposures and lifestyle choices of fathers can significantly influence the epigenetic state of sperm, including DNA methylation and histone changes, among other factors. These alterations in epigenetic patterns have the potential for transgenerational transmission potential and may exert profound effects on the biological characteristics of descendants. Paternal epigenetic changes not only affect the regulation of gene expression patterns in offspring but also increase the risk to certain diseases. It is crucial to comprehend the conditions that fathers are exposed to before conception and the potential outcomes of these conditions. This understanding is essential for assessing personal reproductive decisions and anticipating health risks for future generations. This review article systematically summarizes and analyzes current research findings regarding how paternal pre-pregnancy exposures influence offspring as well as elucidates underlying mechanisms, aiming to provide a comprehensive perspective for an enhanced understanding of the impact that paternal factors have on offspring health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Wu
- Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Weiping Zhang
- The Second People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Huijun Chen
- The Second People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jianfei Weng
- The Second People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
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3
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Hawkey AB, Natarajan S, Kelly O, Gondal A, Wells C, Jones ML, Rezvani AH, Murphy SK, Levin ED. Persisting neurobehavioral consequences of daily or intermittent paternal cannabis administration in F1 and F2 Rats. Neurotoxicology 2024; 103:27-38. [PMID: 38810733 PMCID: PMC11926996 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.05.005] [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] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Repeated paternal preconception exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) alone or together with the other constituents in a cannabis extract has been shown in our earlier studies in rats to cause significant neurobehavioral impairment in their offspring. In the current study, we compared the effects of daily cannabis extract (CE) exposure to cannabis on two consecutive days per week, modeling weekend cannabis use in human. The CE contained Δ9-THC as well as cannabidiol and cannabinol. We also extended the investigation of the study to cross-generational effects of grand-paternal cannabis exposure on the F2 generation and included testing the effects of paternal cannabis exposure on responding for opiate self-administration in F1 and F2 generation offspring. We replicated the findings of neurobehavioral impairment in F1 offspring of male rats exposed to cannabis extract containing 4 mg/kg/day of Δ9-THC daily for four weeks prior to mating with drug naïve females. The 4-week cannabis extract exposure caused a significant decrease in weight gain in the male rats exposed daily. In contrast, their offspring showed significantly greater body weights and anogenital distances (AGD) in the third to fourth weeks after birth. The behavioral effects seen in the F1 generation were increased habituation of locomotor activity in the figure-8 maze in female offspring and increased lever pressing for the opiate drug remifentanil in male offspring. The F2 generation showed significantly impaired negative geotaxis and an elimination of the typical sex-difference in locomotor activity, with effects not seen in the F1 generation. This study shows that daily paternal cannabis exposure for four weeks prior to mating causes significant neurobehavioral impairment in the F1 and F2 offspring. Intermittent exposure on two consecutive days per week for four weeks caused comparable neurobehavioral impairment. In sum, there should be concern about paternal as well as maternal exposure to cannabis concerning neurobehavioral development of their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Hawkey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sarabesh Natarajan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Olivia Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anas Gondal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Corinne Wells
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michelle Louise Jones
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Amir H Rezvani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Susan K Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Edward D Levin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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4
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Phillips D, Noble D. Bubbling beyond the barrier: exosomal RNA as a vehicle for soma-germline communication. J Physiol 2024; 602:2547-2563. [PMID: 37936475 DOI: 10.1113/jp284420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
'Weismann's barrier' has restricted theories of heredity to the transmission of genomic variation for the better part of a century. However, the discovery and elucidation of epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation such as DNA methylation and histone modifications has renewed interest in studies on the inheritance of acquired traits and given them mechanistic plausibility. Although it is now clear that these mechanisms allow many environmentally acquired traits to be transmitted to the offspring, how phenotypic information is communicated from the body to its gametes has remained a mystery. Here, we discuss recent evidence that such communication is mediated by somatic RNAs that travel inside extracellular vesicles to the gametes where they reprogram the offspring epigenome and phenotype. How gametes learn about bodily changes has implications not only for the clinic, but also for evolutionary theory by bringing together intra- and intergenerational mechanisms of phenotypic plasticity and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Phillips
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Denis Noble
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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5
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Maitin-Shepard M, Werner EF, Feig LA, Chavarro JE, Mumford SL, Wylie B, Rando OJ, Gaskins AJ, Sakkas D, Arora M, Kudesia R, Lujan ME, Braun J, Mozaffarian D. Food, nutrition, and fertility: from soil to fork. Am J Clin Nutr 2024; 119:578-589. [PMID: 38101699 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Food and nutrition-related factors, including foods and nutrients consumed, dietary patterns, use of dietary supplements, adiposity, and exposure to food-related environmental contaminants, have the potential to impact semen quality and male and female fertility; obstetric, fetal, and birth outcomes; and the health of future generations, but gaps in evidence remain. On 9 November 2022, Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the school's Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute hosted a 1-d meeting to explore the evidence and evidence gaps regarding the relationships between food, nutrition, and fertility. Topics addressed included male fertility, female fertility and gestation, and intergenerational effects. This meeting report summarizes the presentations and deliberations from the meeting. Regarding male fertility, a positive association exists with a healthy dietary pattern, with high-quality evidence for semen quality and lower quality evidence for clinical outcomes. Folic acid and zinc supplementation have been found to not impact male fertility. In females, body weight status and other nutrition-related factors are linked to nearly half of all ovulation disorders, a leading cause of female infertility. Females with obesity have worse fertility treatment, pregnancy-related, and birth outcomes. Environmental contaminants found in food, water, or its packaging, including lead, perfluorinated alkyl substances, phthalates, and phenols, adversely impact female reproductive outcomes. Epigenetic research has found that maternal and paternal dietary-related factors can impact outcomes for future generations. Priority evidence gaps identified by meeting participants relate to the effects of nutrition and dietary patterns on fertility, gaps in communication regarding fertility optimization through changes in nutritional and environmental exposures, and interventions impacting germ cell mechanisms through dietary effects. Participants developed research proposals to address the priority evidence gaps. The workshop findings serve as a foundation for future prioritization of scientific research to address evidence gaps related to food, nutrition, and fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erika F Werner
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Larry A Feig
- Department of Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jorge E Chavarro
- Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sunni L Mumford
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Blair Wylie
- Collaborative for Women's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Oliver J Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Audrey J Gaskins
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Manish Arora
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Marla E Lujan
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Joseph Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Dariush Mozaffarian
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States; Food is Medicine Institute, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States.
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6
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Klenowski PM, Zhao-Shea R, Freels TG, Molas S, Zinter M, M’Angale P, Xiao C, Martinez-Núñez L, Thomson T, Tapper AR. A neuronal coping mechanism linking stress-induced anxiety to motivation for reward. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh9620. [PMID: 38055830 PMCID: PMC10699782 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Stress coping involves innate and active motivational behaviors that reduce anxiety under stressful situations. However, the neuronal bases directly linking stress, anxiety, and motivation are largely unknown. Here, we show that acute stressors activate mouse GABAergic neurons in the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Stress-coping behavior including self-grooming and reward behavior including sucrose consumption inherently reduced IPN GABAergic neuron activity. Optogenetic silencing of IPN GABAergic neuron activation during acute stress episodes mimicked coping strategies and alleviated anxiety-like behavior. In a mouse model of stress-enhanced motivation for sucrose seeking, photoinhibition of IPN GABAergic neurons reduced stress-induced motivation for sucrose, whereas photoactivation of IPN GABAergic neurons or excitatory inputs from medial habenula potentiated sucrose seeking. Single-cell sequencing, fiber photometry, and optogenetic experiments revealed that stress-activated IPN GABAergic neurons that drive motivated sucrose seeking express somatostatin. Together, these data suggest that stress induces innate behaviors and motivates reward seeking to oppose IPN neuronal activation as an anxiolytic stress-coping mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Klenowski
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Rubing Zhao-Shea
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Timothy G. Freels
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Susanna Molas
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Max Zinter
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Peter M’Angale
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Cong Xiao
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Leonora Martinez-Núñez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Travis Thomson
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Andrew R. Tapper
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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7
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Sengupta P, Dutta S, Liew FF, Dhawan V, Das B, Mottola F, Slama P, Rocco L, Roychoudhury S. Environmental and Genetic Traffic in the Journey from Sperm to Offspring. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1759. [PMID: 38136630 PMCID: PMC10741607 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121759] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advancements in the understanding of how sperm develop into offspring have shown complex interactions between environmental influences and genetic factors. The past decade, marked by a research surge, has not only highlighted the profound impact of paternal contributions on fertility and reproductive outcomes but also revolutionized our comprehension by unveiling how parental factors sculpt traits in successive generations through mechanisms that extend beyond traditional inheritance patterns. Studies have shown that offspring are more susceptible to environmental factors, especially during critical phases of growth. While these factors are broadly detrimental to health, their effects are especially acute during these periods. Moving beyond the immutable nature of the genome, the epigenetic profile of cells emerges as a dynamic architecture. This flexibility renders it susceptible to environmental disruptions. The primary objective of this review is to shed light on the diverse processes through which environmental agents affect male reproductive capacity. Additionally, it explores the consequences of paternal environmental interactions, demonstrating how interactions can reverberate in the offspring. It encompasses direct genetic changes as well as a broad spectrum of epigenetic adaptations. By consolidating current empirically supported research, it offers an exhaustive perspective on the interwoven trajectories of the environment, genetics, and epigenetics in the elaborate transition from sperm to offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallav Sengupta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman 4184, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sulagna Dutta
- School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Dubai 345050, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fong Fong Liew
- Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, MAHSA University, Jenjarom 42610, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Vidhu Dhawan
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Biprojit Das
- Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Silchar 788011, India
| | - Filomena Mottola
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Petr Slama
- Laboratory of Animal Immunology and Biotechnology, Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lucia Rocco
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
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8
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Lo JO, D’Mello RJ, Watch L, Schust DJ, Murphy SK. An epigenetic synopsis of parental substance use. Epigenomics 2023; 15:453-473. [PMID: 37282544 PMCID: PMC10308258 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The rate of substance use is rising, especially among reproductive-age individuals. Emerging evidence suggests that paternal pre-conception and maternal prenatal substance use may alter offspring epigenetic regulation (changes to gene expression without modifying DNA) and outcomes later in life, including neurodevelopment and mental health. However, relatively little is known due to the complexities and limitations of existing studies, making causal interpretations challenging. This review examines the contributions and influence of parental substance use on the gametes and potential transmissibility to the offspring's epigenome as possible areas to target public health warnings and healthcare provider counseling of individuals or couples in the pre-conception and prenatal periods to ultimately mitigate short- and long-term offspring morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie O Lo
- Division of Reproductive & Developmental Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Rahul J D’Mello
- Division of Reproductive & Developmental Sciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Lester Watch
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Danny J Schust
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Susan K Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA; Division of Environmental Sciences & Policy, Duke Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
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9
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Santilli F, Boskovic A. Mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: lessons from animal model organisms. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 79:102024. [PMID: 36893483 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic inheritance is a phenomenon whereby stochastic or signal-induced changes to parental germline epigenome modulate phenotypic output in one or more subsequent generations, independently of mutations in the genomic DNA. While the number of reported epigenetic inheritance phenomena across phyla is exponentially growing, much remains to be elucidated about their mechanistic underpinnings, and their significance for organismal homeostasis and adaptation. Here, we review the most recent epigenetic inheritance examples in animal models, outlining molecular details behind environmental sensing by the germline, and the functional relationships connecting epigenetic mechanisms and phenotypic traits after fertilization. We touch upon the experimental challenges associated with studying the scope of environmental input on phenotypic outcomes between generations. Finally, we discuss the implications of mechanistic findings from model organisms for the emergent examples of parental effects in human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio Santilli
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Epigenetics & Neurobiology Unit, Monterotondo, RM, Italy. https://twitter.com/@santilli_flavio
| | - Ana Boskovic
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Epigenetics & Neurobiology Unit, Monterotondo, RM, Italy.
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10
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Liu S, Sharma U. Sperm RNA Payload: Implications for Intergenerational Epigenetic Inheritance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5889. [PMID: 36982962 PMCID: PMC10052761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
There is mounting evidence that ancestral life experiences and environment can influence phenotypes in descendants. The parental environment regulates offspring phenotypes potentially via modulating epigenetic marks in the gametes. Here, we review examples of across-generational inheritance of paternal environmental effects and the current understanding of the role of small RNAs in such inheritance. We discuss recent advances in revealing the small RNA payload of sperm and how environmental conditions modulate sperm small RNAs. Further, we discuss the potential mechanism of inheritance of paternal environmental effects by focusing on sperm small RNA-mediated regulation of early embryonic gene expression and its role in influencing offspring phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Upasna Sharma
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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11
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Zeid D, Gould TJ. Chronic nicotine exposure alters sperm small RNA content in C57BL/6J mouse model. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22367. [PMID: 36811365 PMCID: PMC9978956 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Multigenerational inheritance is a nongenomic form of heritability characterized by altered phenotypes in the first generation born from the exposed parent. Multigenerational factors may account for inconsistencies and gaps in heritable nicotine addiction vulnerability. Our lab previously found that F1 offspring of male C57BL/6J mice chronically exposed to nicotine exhibited altered hippocampus functioning and related learning, nicotine-seeking, nicotine metabolism, and basal stress hormones. In an effort to identify germline mechanisms underlying these multigenerational phenotypes, the current study sequenced small RNA extracted from sperm of males chronically administered nicotine using our previously established exposure model. We identified 16 miRNAs whose expression in sperm was dysregulated by nicotine exposure. A literature review of previous research on these transcripts suggested an enrichment for regulation of psychological stress and learning. mRNAs predicted to be regulated by differentially expressed sperm small RNAs were further analyzed using exploratory enrichment analysis, which suggested potential modulation of pathways related to learning, estrogen signaling, and hepatic disease, among other findings. Overall, our findings point to links between nicotine-exposed F0 sperm miRNA and altered F1 phenotypes in this multigenerational inheritance model, particularly F1 memory, stress, and nicotine metabolism. These findings provide a valuable foundation for future functional validation of these hypotheses and characterization of mechanisms underlying male-line multigenerational inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Zeid
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia PA, USA
| | - Thomas J. Gould
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park PA, USA
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12
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Liu J, Shi J, Hernandez R, Li X, Konchadi P, Miyake Y, Chen Q, Zhou T, Zhou C. Paternal phthalate exposure-elicited offspring metabolic disorders are associated with altered sperm small RNAs in mice. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 172:107769. [PMID: 36709676 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to ubiquitous plastic-associated endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with the increased risk of many chronic diseases. For example, phthalate exposure is associated with cardiometabolic mortality in humans, with societal costs ∼ $39 billion/year or more. We recently demonstrated that several widely used plastic-associated EDCs increase cardiometabolic disease in appropriate mouse models. In addition to affecting adult health, parental exposure to EDCs has also been shown to cause metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes, in the offspring. While most studies have focused on the impact of maternal EDC exposure on the offspring's health, little is known about the effects of paternal EDC exposure. In the current study, we investigated the adverse impact of paternal exposure to a ubiquitous but understudied phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) on the metabolic health of F1 and F2 offspring in mice. Paternal DCHP exposure led to exacerbated insulin resistance and impaired insulin signaling in F1 offspring without affecting diet-induced obesity. We previously showed that sperm small non-coding RNAs including tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) and rRNA-derived small RNAs (rsRNAs) contribute to the intergenerational transmission of paternally acquired metabolic disorders. Using a novel PANDORA-seq, we revealed that DCHP exposure can lead to sperm tsRNA/rsRNA landscape changes that were undetected by traditional RNA-seq, which may contribute to DCHP-elicited adverse effects. Lastly, we found that paternal DCHP can also cause sex-specific transgenerational adverse effects in F2 offspring and elicited glucose intolerance in female F2 descendants. Our results suggest that exposure to endocrine disrupting phthalates may have intergenerational and transgenerational adverse effects on the metabolic health of their offspring. These findings increase our understanding of the etiology of chronic human diseases originating from chemical-elicited intergenerational and transgenerational effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Liu
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Junchao Shi
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Rebecca Hernandez
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Xiuchun Li
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Pranav Konchadi
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Yuma Miyake
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Qi Chen
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Tong Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, NV 89557, United States
| | - Changcheng Zhou
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, United States.
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13
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Sadat-Shirazi MS, Sadeghi-Adl M, Akbarabadi A, Ashabi G, Mokri A, Zarrindast MR. Inter/Transgenerational Effects of Drugs of Abuse: A Scoping Review. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2023; 22:512-538. [PMID: 35507779 DOI: 10.2174/1871527321666220429122819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder that makes it a global problem. Genetics and environmental factors are the two most important factors that make someone vulnerable to drug addiction. Investigations in the past decade highlighted the role of epigenetics in the inter/transgenerational inheritance of drug addiction. A growing body of evidence showed that parental (paternal, maternal, and biparental) drug exposure before conception changes the phenotype of the offspring, which is correlated with neurochemical and neurostructural changes in the brain. The current paper reviews the effects of parental (maternal, paternal, and biparental) exposure to drugs of abuse (opioids, cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis) before gestation in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mahsa Sadeghi-Adl
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ardeshir Akbarabadi
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghorbangol Ashabi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azarakhsh Mokri
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center (CNRC), Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
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14
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Bhadsavle SS, Golding MC. Paternal epigenetic influences on placental health and their impacts on offspring development and disease. Front Genet 2022; 13:1068408. [PMID: 36468017 PMCID: PMC9716072 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1068408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Our efforts to understand the developmental origins of birth defects and disease have primarily focused on maternal exposures and intrauterine stressors. Recently, research into non-genomic mechanisms of inheritance has led to the recognition that epigenetic factors carried in sperm also significantly impact the health of future generations. However, although researchers have described a range of potential epigenetic signals transmitted through sperm, we have yet to obtain a mechanistic understanding of how these paternally-inherited factors influence offspring development and modify life-long health. In this endeavor, the emerging influence of the paternal epigenetic program on placental development, patterning, and function may help explain how a diverse range of male exposures induce comparable intergenerational effects on offspring health. During pregnancy, the placenta serves as the dynamic interface between mother and fetus, regulating nutrient, oxygen, and waste exchange and coordinating fetal growth and maturation. Studies examining intrauterine maternal stressors routinely describe alterations in placental growth, histological organization, and glycogen content, which correlate with well-described influences on infant health and adult onset of disease. Significantly, the emergence of similar phenotypes in models examining preconception male exposures indicates that paternal stressors transmit an epigenetic memory to their offspring that also negatively impacts placental function. Like maternal models, paternally programmed placental dysfunction exerts life-long consequences on offspring health, particularly metabolic function. Here, focusing primarily on rodent models, we review the literature and discuss the influences of preconception male health and exposure history on placental growth and patterning. We emphasize the emergence of common placental phenotypes shared between models examining preconception male and intrauterine stressors but note that the direction of change frequently differs between maternal and paternal exposures. We posit that alterations in placental growth, histological organization, and glycogen content broadly serve as reliable markers of altered paternal developmental programming, predicting the emergence of structural and metabolic defects in the offspring. Finally, we suggest the existence of an unrecognized developmental axis between the male germline and the extraembryonic lineages that may have evolved to enhance fetal adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael C. Golding
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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15
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Maurer JJ, Wimmer ME, Turner CA, Herman RJ, Zhang Y, Ragnini K, Ferrante J, Kimmey BA, Crist RC, Christopher Pierce R, Schmidt HD. Paternal nicotine taking elicits heritable sex-specific phenotypes that are mediated by hippocampal Satb2. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3864-3874. [PMID: 35595980 PMCID: PMC9675874 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01622-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine intake, whether through tobacco smoking or e-cigarettes, remains a global health concern. An emerging preclinical literature indicates that parental nicotine exposure produces behavioral, physiological, and molecular changes in subsequent generations. However, the heritable effects of voluntary parental nicotine taking are unknown. Here, we show increased acquisition of nicotine taking in male and female offspring of sires that self-administered nicotine. In contrast, self-administration of sucrose and cocaine were unaltered in male and female offspring suggesting that the intergenerational effects of paternal nicotine taking may be reinforcer specific. Further characterization revealed memory deficits and increased anxiety-like behaviors in drug-naive male, but not female, offspring of nicotine-experienced sires. Using an unbiased, genome-wide approach, we discovered that these phenotypes were associated with decreased expression of Satb2, a transcription factor known to play important roles in synaptic plasticity and memory formation, in the hippocampus of nicotine-sired male offspring. This effect was sex-specific as no changes in Satb2 expression were found in nicotine-sired female offspring. Finally, increasing Satb2 levels in the hippocampus prevented the escalation of nicotine intake and rescued the memory deficits associated with paternal nicotine taking in male offspring. Collectively, these findings indicate that paternal nicotine taking produces heritable sex-specific molecular changes that promote addiction-like phenotypes and memory impairments in male offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Maurer
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Mathieu E Wimmer
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Christopher A Turner
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Rae J Herman
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Yafang Zhang
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kael Ragnini
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Julia Ferrante
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Blake A Kimmey
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Richard C Crist
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - R Christopher Pierce
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Heath D Schmidt
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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16
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Small Noncoding RNAs Contribute to Sperm Oxidative Stress-Induced Programming of Behavioral and Metabolic Phenotypes in Offspring. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:6877283. [PMID: 35707281 PMCID: PMC9192199 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6877283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that paternal environmental information alters small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) in sperm and in turn can induce alterations of metabolic and behavioral phenotypes of the next generation. However, the potential mediators of the effects remain to be elucidated. A great diversity of environmental insults and stresses can convergently induce the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in sperm; nonetheless, it remains unclear whether ROS mediates the biogenesis of sncRNAs in sperm and participates in the reprogramming of offspring phenotypes. Here, we show that ROS could induce the alteration of sncRNA profiles in sperm, especially for transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) and ribosomal RNA-derived small RNAs (rsRNAs). Zygotic injection of 29-34 nt RNA fractions (predominantly tsRNAs and rsRNAs) from oxidative stress (OS) sperm could induce depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors in male offspring. Moreover, zygotic injection with synthetic RNAs partially resembled OS sperm-induced depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors in offspring. Male offspring maintained on a chow diet was found to develop impaired glucose tolerance and hyperactive hepatic gluconeogenesis, accompanied by the upregulation of hepatic gluconeogenic and lipolytic genes. Together, our results have shown that ROS-induced alteration of sncRNA profiles in sperm contributes to the alterations of behavioral and metabolic phenotypes of the offspring.
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17
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Zhang D, Dai J, Cao Y, Wang Z, Qiao Z, Qiao Z. Nicotine exposure of male mice protects offspring against carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2022; 36:e23069. [PMID: 35411647 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Paternal nicotine exposure can cause a phenotypic change in offspring. To study whether paternal nicotine exposure influences acute liver injury and repair of the offspring, we established a paternal nicotine exposure model in mice and treated the offspring mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ) to induce acute liver injury. After the treatment of CCl4 , the levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in offspring serum of paternal nicotine exposed mice are about 37.44%, and 30.21% lower than the control mice, respectively. Transcription profiling screen and bioinformatics analysis of differently expressed genes in F1 mice liver revealed that the Wnt pathway was altered. The results demonstrate that nicotine exposure in male mice could enhance the activation of the Wnt pathway in F1 mice liver. The Wnt pathway facilitates cell proliferation and tissue repair. In conclusion, our findings showed that nicotine exposure of male mice protects hepatic against CCl4 -induced acute injury in offspring by activating the Wnt pathway in the F1 liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Zhang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingbo Dai
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yong Cao
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaoxia Wang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiguang Qiao
- Renji Hospital
- South Campus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongdong Qiao
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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18
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Angiogenin mediates paternal inflammation-induced metabolic disorders in offspring through sperm tsRNAs. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6673. [PMID: 34845238 PMCID: PMC8630171 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26909-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Paternal environmental inputs can influence various phenotypes in offspring, presenting tremendous implications for basic biology and public health and policy. However, which signals function as a nexus to transmit paternal environmental inputs to offspring remains unclear. Here we show that offspring of fathers with inflammation exhibit metabolic disorders including glucose intolerance and obesity. Deletion of a mouse tRNA RNase, Angiogenin (Ang), abolished paternal inflammation-induced metabolic disorders in offspring. Additionally, Ang deletion prevented the inflammation-induced alteration of 5'-tRNA-derived small RNAs (5'-tsRNAs) expression profile in sperm, which might be essential in composing a sperm RNA 'coding signature' that is needed for paternal epigenetic memory. Microinjection of sperm 30-40 nt RNA fractions (predominantly 5'-tsRNAs) from inflammatory Ang+/+ males but not Ang-/- males resulted in metabolic disorders in the resultant offspring. Moreover, zygotic injection with synthetic 5'-tsRNAs which increased in inflammatory mouse sperm and decreased by Ang deletion partially resembled paternal inflammation-induced metabolic disorders in offspring. Together, our findings demonstrate that Ang-mediated biogenesis of 5'-tsRNAs in sperm contributes to paternal inflammation-induced metabolic disorders in offspring.
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19
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McCarthy DM, Bhide PG. Heritable consequences of paternal nicotine exposure: from phenomena to mechanisms†. Biol Reprod 2021; 105:632-643. [PMID: 34126634 PMCID: PMC8444703 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the interactions between genetic and environmental factors in shaping behavioral phenotypes has expanded to include environment-induced epigenetic modifications and the intriguing possibility of their association with heritable behavioral phenotypes. The molecular basis of heritability of phenotypes arising from environment-induced epigenetic modifications is not well defined yet. However, phenomenological evidence in favor of it is accumulating rapidly. The resurgence of interest has led to focus on epigenetic modification of germ cells as a plausible mechanism of heritability. Perhaps partly because of practical reasons such as ease of access to male germ cells compared to female germ cells, attention has turned toward heritable effects of environmental influences on male founders. Public health implications of heritable effects of paternal exposures to addictive substances or to psycho-social factors may be enormous. Considering nicotine alone, over a billion people worldwide use nicotine-containing products, and the majority are men. Historically, the adverse effects of nicotine use by pregnant women received much attention by scientists and public policy experts alike. The implications of nicotine use by men for the physical and mental well-being of their children were not at the forefront of research until recently. Here, we review progress in the emerging field of heritable effects of paternal nicotine exposure and its implications for behavioral health of individuals in multiple generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre M McCarthy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Pradeep G Bhide
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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20
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Altintaş A, Liu J, Fabre O, Chuang TD, Wang Y, Sakurai R, Chehabi GN, Barrès R, Rehan VK. Perinatal exposure to nicotine alters spermatozoal DNA methylation near genes controlling nicotine action. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21702. [PMID: 34153130 PMCID: PMC9231556 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100215r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal smoke/nicotine exposure alters lung development and causes asthma in exposed offspring, transmitted transgenerationally. The mechanism underlying the transgenerational inheritance of perinatal smoke/nicotine-induced asthma remains unknown, but germline epigenetic modulations may play a role. Using a well-established rat model of perinatal nicotine-induced asthma, we determined the DNA methylation pattern of spermatozoa of F1 rats exposed perinatally to nicotine in F0 gestation. To identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs), reduced representation bisulfite sequencing was performed on spermatozoa of F1 litters. The top regulated gene body and promoter DMRs were tested for lung gene expression levels, and key proteins involved in lung development and repair were determined. The overall CpG methylation in F1 sperms across gene bodies, promoters, 5'-UTRs, exons, introns, and 3'-UTRs was not affected by nicotine exposure. However, the methylation levels were different between the different genomic regions. Eighty one CpG sites, 16 gene bodies, and 3 promoter regions were differentially methylated. Gene enrichment analysis of DMRs revealed pathways involved in oxidative stress, nicotine response, alveolar and brain development, and cellular signaling. Among the DMRs, Dio1 and Nmu were the most hypermethylated and hypomethylated genes, respectively. Gene expression analysis showed that the mRNA expression and DNA methylation were incongruous. Key proteins involved in lung development and repair were significantly different (FDR < 0.05) between the nicotine and placebo-treated groups. Our data show that DNA methylation is remodeled in offspring spermatozoa upon perinatal nicotine exposure. These epigenetic alterations may play a role in transgenerational inheritance of perinatal smoke/nicotine induced asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Altintaş
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jie Liu
- Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-ULCA Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Odile Fabre
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tsai-Der Chuang
- Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-ULCA Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-ULCA Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Reiko Sakurai
- Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-ULCA Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Galal Nazih Chehabi
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Romain Barrès
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Virender K. Rehan
- Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-ULCA Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Torrance, CA, USA
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21
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Preconceptional smoking alters spermatozoal miRNAs of murine fathers and affects offspring's body weight. Int J Obes (Lond) 2021; 45:1623-1627. [PMID: 34002034 PMCID: PMC8236406 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-021-00798-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Active smoking has been reported among 7% of teenagers worldwide, with ages ranging from 13 to 15 years. An epidemiological study suggested that preconceptional paternal smoking is associated with adolescent obesity in boys. We developed a murine adolescent smoking model before conception to investigate the paternal molecular causes of changes in offspring’s phenotype. Method Male and female C57BL/6J mice were exposed to increasing doses of mainstream cigarette smoke (CS) from onset of puberty for 6 weeks and mated with room air (RA) controls. Results Thirteen miRNAs were upregulated and 32 downregulated in the spermatozoa of CS-exposed fathers, while there were no significant differences in the count and morphological integrity of spermatozoa, as well as the proliferation of spermatogonia between CS- and RA-exposed fathers. Offspring from preconceptional CS-exposed mothers had lower body weights (p = 0.007). Moreover, data from offspring from CS-exposed fathers suggested a potential increase in body weight (p = 0.062). Conclusion We showed that preconceptional paternal CS exposure regulates spermatozoal miRNAs, and possibly influences the body weight of F1 progeny in early life. The regulated miRNAs may modulate transmittable epigenetic changes to offspring, thus influence the development of respiratory- and metabolic-related diseases such as obesity, a mechanism that warrants further studies for elaborate explanations.
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Zeid D, Goldberg LR, Seemiller LR, Mooney-Leber S, Smith PB, Gould TJ. Multigenerational nicotine exposure affects offspring nicotine metabolism, nicotine-induced hypothermia, and basal corticosterone in a sex-dependent manner. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2021; 85:106972. [PMID: 33727150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Parental nicotine exposure can impact phenotypes in unexposed offspring. Our laboratory recently published data showing that nicotine reward and hippocampal gene expression involved in stress pathways were perturbed in F1 offspring of male C57BL/6J mice chronically exposed to nicotine. For the current study, we aimed to further test nicotine and stress-sensitivity phenotypes that may predict vulnerability to nicotine addiction in new cohorts of F1 offspring derived from nicotine-exposed males. We tested locomotor and body temperature sensitivity to acute nicotine administration, serum concentration of nicotine and nicotine metabolites after acute nicotine dosing, and serum corticosterone levels in male and female F1 offspring of nicotine- or saline-exposed males. Paternal nicotine exposure reduced sensitivity to nicotine-induced hypothermia in males, altered nicotine metabolite concentrations in males and females, and reduced serum basal corticosterone levels in females. These findings may point to reduced susceptibility to nicotine addiction-related phenotypes as a result of parental nicotine exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Zeid
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Lisa R Goldberg
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Laurel R Seemiller
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sean Mooney-Leber
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI, USA
| | - Philip B Smith
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
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23
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Rutkowska J, Lagisz M, Bonduriansky R, Nakagawa S. Mapping the past, present and future research landscape of paternal effects. BMC Biol 2020; 18:183. [PMID: 33246472 PMCID: PMC7694421 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00892-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although in all sexually reproducing organisms an individual has a mother and a father, non-genetic inheritance has been predominantly studied in mothers. Paternal effects have been far less frequently studied, until recently. In the last 5 years, research on environmentally induced paternal effects has grown rapidly in the number of publications and diversity of topics. Here, we provide an overview of this field using synthesis of evidence (systematic map) and influence (bibliometric analyses). RESULTS We find that motivations for studies into paternal effects are diverse. For example, from the ecological and evolutionary perspective, paternal effects are of interest as facilitators of response to environmental change and mediators of extended heredity. Medical researchers track how paternal pre-fertilization exposures to factors, such as diet or trauma, influence offspring health. Toxicologists look at the effects of toxins. We compare how these three research guilds design experiments in relation to objects of their studies: fathers, mothers and offspring. We highlight examples of research gaps, which, in turn, lead to future avenues of research. CONCLUSIONS The literature on paternal effects is large and disparate. Our study helps in fostering connections between areas of knowledge that develop in parallel, but which could benefit from the lateral transfer of concepts and methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Rutkowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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24
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Baratta AM, Rathod RS, Plasil SL, Seth A, Homanics GE. Exposure to drugs of abuse induce effects that persist across generations. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 156:217-277. [PMID: 33461664 PMCID: PMC8167819 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Substance use disorders are highly prevalent and continue to be one of the leading causes of disability in the world. Notably, not all people who use addictive drugs develop a substance use disorder. Although substance use disorders are highly heritable, patterns of inheritance cannot be explained purely by Mendelian genetic mechanisms. Vulnerability to developing drug addiction depends on the interplay between genetics and environment. Additionally, evidence from the past decade has pointed to the role of epigenetic inheritance in drug addiction. This emerging field focuses on how environmental perturbations, including exposure to addictive drugs, induce epigenetic modifications that are transmitted to the embryo at fertilization and modify developmental gene expression programs to ultimately impact subsequent generations. This chapter highlights intergenerational and transgenerational phenotypes in offspring following a history of parental drug exposure. Special attention is paid to parental preconception exposure studies of five drugs of abuse (alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, cannabinoids, and opiates) and associated behavioral and physiological outcomes in offspring. The highlighted studies demonstrate that parental exposure to drugs of abuse has enduring effects that persist into subsequent generations. Understanding the contribution of epigenetic inheritance in drug addiction may provide clues for better treatments and therapies for substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa M Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Richa S Rathod
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Sonja L Plasil
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Amit Seth
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Gregg E Homanics
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
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Wan X, He X, Liu Q, Wang X, Ding X, Li H. Frequent and mild scrotal heat stress in mice epigenetically alters glucose metabolism in the male offspring. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2020; 319:E291-E304. [PMID: 32603600 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00038.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several studies have reported that health problems occur in assisted reproductive technology (ART)-conceived offspring. Recently, investigations have demonstrated that paternal environmental conditions influence offspring health. However, it is unclear whether the factors that cause male infertility per se affect offspring health and contribute to health problems in ART-born children. Scrotal heat stress represents a common cause for oligoasthenozoospermia, and in these cases, in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is typically recommended for those individuals trying to conceive. We exposed C57BL/6J male mice to frequent and mild scrotal heat stress (fmSHS) (39°C for 30 min once weekly for 5 consecutive wk). Sperm was subjected to IVF-ET with oocytes of untreated C57BL/6J females to produce offspring mice. Glucose intolerance and insulin resistance was observed in the male offspring mice derived from fmSHS-exposed fathers. Islets, after evaluation, remained unchanged. Genes involved in glucose metabolism, especially, those in insulin signaling pathways, showed dysregulation in the liver of the fmSHS-derived male offspring. Differentially methylated regions were found in the sperm of fmSHS-exposed mice by whole genome bisulfite sequencing. Interestingly, abnormal methylation of some genes with altered expression in offspring was observed in both the sperm of fmSHS fathers and the liver of their male offspring. Our results suggest that the factors that cause male infertility can affect male offspring health by an epigenetic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Wan
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomei He
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaotong Wang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofang Ding
- Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Honggang Li
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Wuhan Tongji Reproductive Medicine Hospital, Jiangan District, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
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Galan C, Krykbaeva M, Rando OJ. Early life lessons: The lasting effects of germline epigenetic information on organismal development. Mol Metab 2020; 38:100924. [PMID: 31974037 PMCID: PMC7300385 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2019.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An organism's metabolic phenotype is primarily affected by its genotype, its lifestyle, and the nutritional composition of its food supply. In addition, it is now clear from studies in many different species that ancestral environments can also modulate metabolism in at least one to two generations of offspring. SCOPE OF REVIEW We limit ourselves here to paternal effects in mammals, primarily focusing on studies performed in inbred rodent models. Although hundreds of studies link paternal diets and offspring metabolism, the mechanistic basis by which epigenetic information in sperm programs nutrient handling in the next generation remains mysterious. Our goal in this review is to provide a brief overview of paternal effect paradigms and the germline epigenome. We then pivot to exploring one key mystery in this literature: how do epigenetic changes in sperm, most of which are likely to act transiently in the early embryo, ultimately direct a long-lasting physiological response in offspring? MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Several potential mechanisms exist by which transient epigenetic modifications, such as small RNAs or methylation states erased shortly after fertilization, could be transferred to more durable heritable information. A detailed mechanistic understanding of this process will provide deep insights into early development, and could be of great relevance for human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Galan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Marina Krykbaeva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Oliver J Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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Hempel BJ, Melkumyan M, Crissman ME, Winston CA, Madar J, Riley AL. Pre-conception exposure to THC fails to impact nicotine reward in adult offspring. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 197:173001. [PMID: 32710886 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental stimuli in one generation can produce altered behavioral and neurobiological phenotypes in descendants. Recent work has shown that parental exposure to cannabinoids alters the rewarding properties of other abused drugs in the subsequent generation. However, whether preconception Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administration modifies the affective properties of nicotine in offspring is unknown. To address this question, male and female rats (F0) received THC (0 or 1.5 mg/kg) throughout the adolescent window and were bred on PND 65. In Experiment 1, adult F1-THC and F1-Veh progeny (males and females) underwent nicotine locomotor sensitization procedures during which nicotine (0 or 0.4 mg/kg) was administered every other day for five exposures, and locomotor activity was recorded on each exposure followed by a final nicotine challenge. There was no cross-generational effect of THC on nicotine locomotor sensitization, although acute exposure to nicotine produced greater activity in females relative to males independent of THC history. In Experiment 2, adult F1-THC and F1-Veh progeny (males and females) were implanted with jugular catheters and trained to self-administer nicotine (0.03 mg/kg/infusion). Following acquisition, all subjects were allowed to self-administer nicotine on a number of reinforcement schedules, e.g., FR2, FR5 and PR, followed by dose response and extinction procedures. Across all indices, F1-THC and F1-Veh subjects displayed similar IVSA of nicotine with no sex differences. The fact that there was no evidence of cross-generational effects of THC on nicotine suggests that such effects are drug-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana J Hempel
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20016, USA.
| | - Mariam Melkumyan
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20016, USA
| | - Madeline E Crissman
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20016, USA
| | - Chloe A Winston
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20016, USA
| | - Jacob Madar
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20016, USA
| | - Anthony L Riley
- Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20016, USA.
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Nutri-Epigenetics and Gut Microbiota: How Birth Care, Bonding and Breastfeeding Can Influence and Be Influenced? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21145032. [PMID: 32708742 PMCID: PMC7404045 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21145032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal lifestyle is an important factor in the programming of an infant's epigenome, in particular when considered alongside the mode of birth and choice of feeding method (i.e., breastfeeding or formula feeding). Beginning in utero, and during the first two years of an infant's life, cells acquire an epigenetic memory of the neonatal exposome which can be influential across the entire lifespan. Parental lifestyle (e.g., malnutrition, alcohol intake, smoke, stress, exposure to xenobiotics and/or drugs) can modify both the maternal and paternal epigenome, leading to epigenetic inheritance in their offspring. This review aims to outline the origin of early life modulation of the epigenome, and to share this fundamental concept with all the health care professionals involved in the development and provision of care during childbirth in order to inform future parents and clinicians of the importance of the this process and the key role it plays in the programming of a child's health.
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29
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Murphy PJ, Guo J, Jenkins TG, James ER, Hoidal JR, Huecksteadt T, Broberg DS, Hotaling JM, Alonso DF, Carrell DT, Cairns BR, Aston KI. NRF2 loss recapitulates heritable impacts of paternal cigarette smoke exposure. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008756. [PMID: 32520939 PMCID: PMC7307791 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Paternal cigarette smoke (CS) exposure is associated with increased risk of behavioral disorders and cancer in offspring, but the mechanism has not been identified. Here we use mouse models to investigate mechanisms and impacts of paternal CS exposure. We demonstrate that CS exposure induces sperm DNAme changes that are partially corrected within 28 days of removal from CS exposure. Additionally, paternal smoking is associated with changes in prefrontal cortex DNAme and gene expression patterns in offspring. Remarkably, the epigenetic and transcriptional effects of CS exposure that we observed in wild type mice are partially recapitulated in Nrf2-/- mice and their offspring, independent of smoking status. Nrf2 is a central regulator of antioxidant gene transcription, and mice lacking Nrf2 consequently display elevated oxidative stress, suggesting that oxidative stress may underlie CS-induced heritable epigenetic changes. Importantly, paternal sperm DNAme changes do not overlap with DNAme changes measured in offspring prefrontal cortex, indicating that the observed DNAme changes in sperm are not directly inherited. Additionally, the changes in sperm DNAme associated with CS exposure were not observed in sperm of unexposed offspring, suggesting the effects are likely not maintained across multiple generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J. Murphy
- Department of Biomedical Genetics, Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Jingtao Guo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Timothy G. Jenkins
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Emma R. James
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - John R. Hoidal
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine and Salt Lake VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Thomas Huecksteadt
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine and Salt Lake VA Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Dallin S. Broberg
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - James M. Hotaling
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - David F. Alonso
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Douglas T. Carrell
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Bradley R. Cairns
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Oncological Sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Kenneth I. Aston
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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30
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31
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Chan JC, Morgan CP, Adrian Leu N, Shetty A, Cisse YM, Nugent BM, Morrison KE, Jašarević E, Huang W, Kanyuch N, Rodgers AB, Bhanu NV, Berger DS, Garcia BA, Ament S, Kane M, Neill Epperson C, Bale TL. Reproductive tract extracellular vesicles are sufficient to transmit intergenerational stress and program neurodevelopment. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1499. [PMID: 32198406 PMCID: PMC7083921 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15305-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a unique mode of intercellular communication capable of incredible specificity in transmitting signals involved in cellular function, including germ cell maturation. Spermatogenesis occurs in the testes, behind a protective barrier to ensure safeguarding of germline DNA from environmental insults. Following DNA compaction, further sperm maturation occurs in the epididymis. Here, we report reproductive tract EVs transmit information regarding stress in the paternal environment to sperm, potentially altering fetal development. Using intracytoplasmic sperm injection, we found that sperm incubated with EVs collected from stress-treated epididymal epithelial cells produced offspring with altered neurodevelopment and adult stress reactivity. Proteomic and transcriptomic assessment of these EVs showed dramatic changes in protein and miRNA content long after stress treatment had ended, supporting a lasting programmatic change in response to chronic stress. Thus, EVs as a normal process in sperm maturation, can also perform roles in intergenerational transmission of paternal environmental experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Chan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Christopher P Morgan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - N Adrian Leu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Amol Shetty
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Yasmine M Cisse
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Kathleen E Morrison
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Eldin Jašarević
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Weiliang Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Nickole Kanyuch
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Ali B Rodgers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Natarajan V Bhanu
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Dara S Berger
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Seth Ament
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Maureen Kane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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32
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Cauceglia JW, Nelson AC, Rubinstein ND, Kukreja S, Sasso LN, Beaufort JA, Rando OJ, Potts WK. Transitions in paternal social status predict patterns of offspring growth and metabolic transcription. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:624-638. [PMID: 31885115 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
One type of parental effect occurs when changes in parental phenotype or environment trigger changes to offspring phenotype. Such nongenetic parental effects can be precisely triggered in response to an environmental cue in time-locked fashion, or in other cases, persist for multiple generations after the cue has been removed, suggesting multiple timescales of action. For parental effects to serve as reliable signals of current environmental conditions, they should be reversible, such that when cues change, offspring phenotypes change in accordance. Social hierarchy is a prevalent feature of the environment, and current parental social status could signal the environment in which offspring will be born. Here, we sought to address parental effects of social status and their timescale of action in mice. We show that territorial competition in seminatural environments affects offspring growth. Although dominant males are not heavier than nondominant or control males, they produce faster growing offspring, particularly sons. The timing, effect-size, and sex-specificity of this association are modulated by maternal social experience. We show that a change in paternal social status is sufficient to modulate offspring weight: from one breeding cycle to the next, status-ascending males produce heavier sons than before, and status-descending males produce lighter sons than before. Current paternal status is also highly predictive of liver transcription in sons, including molecular pathways controlling oxidative phosphorylation and iron metabolism. These results are consistent with a parental effect of social experience, although alternative explanations are considered. In summary, changes in paternal social status are associated with changes in offspring growth and metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W Cauceglia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Adam C Nelson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Shweta Kukreja
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Lynsey N Sasso
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - John A Beaufort
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Oliver J Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Wayne K Potts
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Jenkins TG, James ER, Aston KI, Salas-Huetos A, Pastuszak AW, Smith KR, Hanson HA, Hotaling JM, Carrell DT. Age-associated sperm DNA methylation patterns do not directly persist trans-generationally. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12:74. [PMID: 31856899 PMCID: PMC6921445 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-019-0323-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The impact of aging on the sperm methylome is well understood. However, the direct, subsequent impact on offspring and the role of altered sperm DNA methylation alterations in this process remain poorly understood. The well-defined impact of aging on sperm DNA methylation represents an excellent opportunity to trace the direct, transgenerational transmission of these signals. Results We utilized the Illumina MethylationEPIC array to analyze the sperm of 16 patients with older (> 40 years of age) paternal grandfathers (‘old grand paternal age’ patients; OGPA) and 16 patients with younger (< 25 years of age) grandfathers (‘young grand paternal age’ patients; YGPA) identified through the Subfertility Health Assisted Reproduction and the Environment (SHARE) cohort to investigate differences in DNA methylation. No differentially methylated regions were identified between the OGPA and YGPA groups. Further, when assessing only the sites previously shown to be altered by age, no statistically significant differences between OGPA and YGPA were identified. This was true even despite the lower bar for significance after removing multiple comparison correction in a targeted approach. Interestingly though, in an analysis of the 140 loci known to have decreased methylation with age, the majority (~ 72%) had lower methylation in OGPA compared to YGPA though the differences were extremely small (~ 1.5%). Conclusions This study suggests that the robust and consistent age-associated methylation alterations seen in human sperm are ‘reset’ during large-scale epigenetic reprograming processes and are not directly inherited trans-generationally (over two generations). An extremely small trend was present between the YGPA and OGPA groups that resemble the aging pattern in older sperm. However, this trend was not significant and was so small that, if real, is almost certainly biologically inert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy G Jenkins
- Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Brigham Young University Provo, Life Sciences Building 4005, Provo, UT, 84602, USA. .,Andrology and IVF Laboratories, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. .,Department of Surgery (Urology Division), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Emma R James
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kenneth I Aston
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Surgery (Urology Division), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Albert Salas-Huetos
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Surgery (Urology Division), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Alexander W Pastuszak
- Department of Surgery (Urology Division), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ken R Smith
- Department of Population Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Heidi A Hanson
- Department of Surgery (Urology Division), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Population Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - James M Hotaling
- Department of Surgery (Urology Division), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Douglas T Carrell
- Andrology and IVF Laboratories, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Surgery (Urology Division), University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Department of Genetics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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34
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Sharma U. Paternal Contributions to Offspring Health: Role of Sperm Small RNAs in Intergenerational Transmission of Epigenetic Information. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:215. [PMID: 31681757 PMCID: PMC6803970 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The most fundamental process for the perpetuation of a species is the transfer of information from parent to offspring. Although genomic DNA contributes to the majority of the inheritance, it is now clear that epigenetic information −information beyond the underlying DNA sequence − is also passed on to future generations. However, the mechanism and extent of such inheritance are not well-understood. Here, I review some of the concepts, evidence, and mechanisms of intergenerational epigenetic inheritance via sperm small RNAs. Recent studies provide evidence that mature sperm are highly abundant in small non-coding RNAs. These RNAs are modulated by paternal environmental conditions and potentially delivered to the zygote at fertilization, where they can regulate early embryonic development. Intriguingly, sperm small RNA payload undergoes dramatic changes during testicular and post-testicular maturation, making the mature sperm epigenome highly unique and distinct from testicular germ cells. I explore the mechanism of sperm small RNA remodeling during post-testicular maturation in the epididymis, and the potential role of this reprograming in intergenerational epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upasna Sharma
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
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35
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Nieto SJ, Kosten TA. Who's your daddy? Behavioral and epigenetic consequences of paternal drug exposure. Int J Dev Neurosci 2019; 78:109-121. [PMID: 31301337 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) reflect genetic and environmental factors. While identifying reliable genetic variants that predispose individuals to developing SUDs has been challenging, epigenetic factors may also contribute to the heritability of SUDs. Familial drug use associates with a wide range of problems in children, including an increased risk for developing a SUD. The implications of maternal drug use on offspring development are a well-studied area; however, paternal drug use prior to conception has received relatively little attention. Paternal exposure to several environmental stimuli (i.e. stress or diet manipulations) results in behavioral and epigenetic changes in offspring. The purpose of this review is to determine the state of the preclinical literature on the behavioral and epigenetic consequences of paternal drug exposure. Drug-sired offspring show several developmental and physiological abnormalities. These offspring also show deficits in cognitive and emotional domains. Examining sensitivity to drugs in offspring is a growing area of research. Drug-sired offspring are resistant to the rewarding and reinforcing properties of drugs. However, greater paternal motivation for the drug, combined with high drug intake, can result in addiction-like behaviors in offspring. Drug-sired offspring also show altered histone modifications and DNA methylation levels of imprinted genes and microRNAs; epigenetic-mediated changes were also noted in genes related to glutamatergic and neurotrophic factor signaling. In some instances, drug use resulted in aberrant epigenetic modifications in sire sperm, and these changes were maintained in the brains of offspring. Thus, paternal drug exposure has long-lasting consequences that include altered drug sensitivity in subsequent generations. We discuss factors (i.e. maternal behaviors) that may moderate these paternal drug-induced effects as well as ideas for future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Nieto
- University of Houston, Department of Psychology & Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics (TIMES), Houston, TX, 77204-6022, United States
| | - Therese A Kosten
- University of Houston, Department of Psychology & Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics (TIMES), Houston, TX, 77204-6022, United States
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36
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Xiang D, Qiao K, Song Z, Shen S, Wang M, Wang Q. Enantioselectivity of toxicological responses induced by maternal exposure of cis-bifenthrin enantiomers in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2019; 371:655-665. [PMID: 30889462 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.03.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The maternal transfer and developmental toxicity of chiral contaminants with respect to enantioselectivity have rarely been investigated. Here, the residues and toxicological responses of cis-BF, a typical chiral pesticide, were studied in the progeny of adult zebrafish exposed to cis-BF (0, 20, 100, and 500 ng/L) for 60 days. Cis-BF enantiomers exhibited the equal maternal transfer potentials. GC/MSD analysis showed that parental 1S-cis-BF exposure could disrupt the components of fatty acids in offspring embryos. In transcriptional expression, the whole differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in GO categories, including the processes related to lipid biosynthesis/metabolism. The perturbations of fatty acids suggested that cis-BF has potential negative impacts on embryos' development. Furthermore, enantioselective growth inhibition and developmental neurotoxicity in larvae were also observed. The mRNA expressions of neuronal development genes were significantly changed in 1S-exposed offspring, so were the levels of the neurotransmitters and larval locomotion. Our results show that the cis-BF induced the growth inhibition and neurotoxicity in zebrafish larvae, which may be mediated by the development interference in embryos related to the disrupted fatty acid composition. Furthermore, the toxicological response to 1S-cis-BF was greater than that to the 1R-enantiomer in the offspring of exposed adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Xiang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China; Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (MOA), Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | - Kun Qiao
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Zhuoying Song
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China; Qiushi College of Zhenjiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Shuyuan Shen
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China; Qiushi College of Zhenjiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Mengcen Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Qiangwei Wang
- Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China.
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37
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Paternal nicotine exposure in rats produces long-lasting neurobehavioral effects in the offspring. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2019; 74:106808. [PMID: 31103693 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Studies of intergenerational effects of parental chemical exposure have principally focused on maternal exposure, particularly for studies of adverse neurobehavioral consequences on the offspring. Maternal nicotine exposure has long been known to cause adverse neurobehavioral effects on the offspring. However, paternal toxicant exposure has also been found to cause neurobehavioral toxicity in their offspring. Recent work suggests that paternal nicotine exposure can have epigenetic effects, although it remains unclear whether such changes lead to neurobehavioral effects. In the current study, we investigated the effects of paternal nicotine exposure on neurobehavioral development of their offspring. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 0 or 2 mg/kg/day nicotine (sc) for 56 consecutive days with two consecutive 2ML4 osmotic minipumps. Following treatment, these males were mated with drug-naïve female rats. Offspring of both sexes were tested in a behavioral battery to assess locomotion, emotional function and cognition. Paternal nicotine exposure did not impact offspring viability, health or growth. However, behavioral function of the offspring was significantly altered by paternal nicotine exposure. Male offspring with paternal nicotine exposure exhibited locomotor hyperactivity in the Figure-8 apparatus when tested during adolescence. When retested in adulthood and regardless of sex, offspring of the nicotine exposed father showed significantly reduced habituation of locomotor activity over the course of the session. Compared to controls, female offspring of nicotine-exposed fathers showed significantly reduced response latency in the radial arm maze test. In addition to locomotor hyperactivity, the offspring of nicotine-exposed fathers also showed significantly diminished habituation in the novel object recognition test. These results indicate that chronic paternal nicotine exposure can impact the behavior of offspring, producing locomotor hyperactivity and impaired habituation.
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Golding J, Gregory S, Northstone K, Iles-Caven Y, Ellis G, Pembrey M. Investigating Possible Trans/Intergenerational Associations With Obesity in Young Adults Using an Exposome Approach. Front Genet 2019; 10:314. [PMID: 31024624 PMCID: PMC6459952 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal experiments demonstrate ways in which an exposure in one generation can be reflected in a variety of outcomes in later generations. In parallel human observational studies have shown associations between grandparental and parental exposures to cigarette smoking and/or nutrition and growth and survival of the grandchild. These studies have controlled for just a few confounders selected ad hoc. Here we use an exposome approach (using all available measures of exposure) to determine trans/inter-generational factors that may be important in studying environmental factors associated with fat mass in young human adults. The study takes advantage of the rich data available in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). We test associations with features of grandparents (G0) and the childhood of the parents (G1) of 24-year olds (G2). We hypothesized that intergenerational associations would be revealed, particularly with exposure to cigarette smoke, and that these would vary with the sexes of all three generations. The study exposome analyzed 172 exposures to the maternal line and 182 to the paternal line. A series of stepwise regression analyses reduced the initial 40 unadjusted factors (P < 0.05) to eight independent features on the maternal line, and of 26 on the paternal line to five. We found strong associations between the father starting to smoke cigarettes regularly before age 11 and increased fat mass in his adult children (unadjusted = +7.82 [95% CI +2.75, +12.90] Kg; adjusted = +11.22 [+5.23, +17.22] Kg); this association was stronger in male offspring. In addition, when the paternal grandmother had smoked in pregnancy her adult granddaughters, but not grandsons had elevated mean fat mass (interaction with sex after adjustment, P = 0.001). The exposome technique identified other factors that were independently associated with fat mass in young adults. These may be useful in identifying appropriate confounders in other more proximal analyses, but also may identify features that may be on epigenetic pathways leading to increased fat mass in subsequent generations. We acknowledge that the results need to be replicated in other cohorts and encourage further linkage of outcomes with previous generational exposures, particularly along the paternal line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Golding
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Wang F, McCannell KN, Bošković A, Zhu X, Shin J, Yu J, Gallant J, Byron M, Lawrence JB, Zhu LJ, Jones SN, Rando OJ, Fazzio TG, Bach I. Rlim-Dependent and -Independent Pathways for X Chromosome Inactivation in Female ESCs. Cell Rep 2019; 21:3691-3699. [PMID: 29281819 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During female mouse embryogenesis, two forms of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) ensure dosage compensation from sex chromosomes. Beginning at the four-cell stage, imprinted XCI (iXCI) exclusively silences the paternal X (Xp), and this pattern is maintained in extraembryonic cell types. Epiblast cells, which give rise to the embryo proper, reactivate the Xp (XCR) and undergo a random form of XCI (rXCI) around implantation. Both iXCI and rXCI depend on the long non-coding RNA Xist. The ubiquitin ligase RLIM is required for iXCI in vivo and occupies a central role in current models of rXCI. Here, we demonstrate the existence of Rlim-dependent and Rlim-independent pathways for rXCI in differentiating female ESCs. Upon uncoupling these pathways, we find more efficient Rlim-independent XCI in ESCs cultured under physiological oxygen conditions. Our results revise current models of rXCI and suggest that caution must be taken when comparing XCI studies in ESCs and mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Kurtis N McCannell
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Ana Bošković
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Xiaochun Zhu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - JongDae Shin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jun Yu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Judith Gallant
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Meg Byron
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jeanne B Lawrence
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Lihua J Zhu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Stephen N Jones
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Oliver J Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Thomas G Fazzio
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Ingolf Bach
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA; Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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40
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Abstract
Inheritance of genomic DNA underlies the vast majority of biological inheritance, yet it has been clear for decades that additional epigenetic information can be passed on to future generations. Here, we review major model systems for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance via the germline in multicellular organisms. In addition to surveying examples of epivariation that may arise stochastically or in response to unknown stimuli, we also discuss the induction of heritable epigenetic changes by genetic or environmental perturbations. Mechanistically, we discuss the increasingly well-understood molecular pathways responsible for epigenetic inheritance, with a focus on the unusual features of the germline epigenome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Bošković
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Oliver J. Rando
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
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Goldberg LR, Gould TJ. Multigenerational and transgenerational effects of paternal exposure to drugs of abuse on behavioral and neural function. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 50:2453-2466. [PMID: 29949212 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Addictions are highly heritable disorders, with heritability estimates ranging from 39% to 72%. Multiple studies suggest a link between paternal drug abuse and addiction in their children. However, patterns of inheritance cannot be explained purely by Mendelian genetic mechanisms. Exposure to drugs of abuse results in epigenetic changes that may be passed on through the germline. This mechanism of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance may provide a link between paternal drug exposure and addiction susceptibility in the offspring. Recent studies have begun to investigate the effect of paternal drug exposure on behavioral and neurobiological phenotypes in offspring of drug-exposed fathers in rodent models. This review aims to discuss behavioral and neural effects of paternal exposure to alcohol, cocaine, opioids, and nicotine. Although a special focus will be on addiction-relevant behaviors, additional behavioral effects including cognition, anxiety, and depressive-like behaviors will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa R Goldberg
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
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Moggs J, Terranova R. Chromatin dynamics underlying latent responses to xenobiotics. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2018; 7:606-617. [PMID: 30090610 PMCID: PMC6062062 DOI: 10.1039/c7tx00317j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pleiotropic xenobiotics can trigger dynamic alterations in mammalian chromatin structure and function but many of these are likely non-adverse and simply reflect short-term changes in DNA transactions underlying normal homeostatic, adaptive and protective cellular responses. However, it is plausible that a subset of xenobiotic-induced perturbations of somatic tissue or germline epigenomes result in delayed-onset and long-lasting adverse effects, in particular if they occur during critical stages of growth and development. These could include reprogramming, dedifferentiation, uncontrolled growth, and cumulative toxicity effects through molecular memory of prior xenobiotic exposures or altered susceptibility to subsequent xenobiotic exposures. Here we discuss the current evidence for epigenetic mechanisms underlying latent responses to xenobiotics, and the potential for identifying molecular epigenetic changes that are prodromal to overt morphologic or functional toxicity phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Moggs
- Preclinical Safety , Translational Medicine , Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Rémi Terranova
- Preclinical Safety , Translational Medicine , Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research , Basel , Switzerland
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43
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Schmidt CW. Chips off the Old Block: How a Father's Preconception Exposures Might Affect the Health of His Children. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:022001. [PMID: 29398654 PMCID: PMC6066336 DOI: 10.1289/ehp2348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
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Cote IL, McCullough SD, Hines RN, Vandenberg JJ. Application of epigenetic data in human health risk assessment. CURRENT OPINION IN TOXICOLOGY 2017; 6:71-78. [PMID: 29333520 DOI: 10.1016/j.cotox.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite the many recent advances in the field of epigenetics, application of this knowledge in environmental health risk assessment has been limited. In this paper, we identify opportunities for application of epigenetic data to support health risk assessment. We consider current applications and present a vision for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ila L Cote
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC 22202, USA
| | - Shaun D McCullough
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - Ronald N Hines
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - John J Vandenberg
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
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45
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Abstract
Exposing male mice to nicotine or cocaine enables their male offspring to cope with high doses of either, which suggests that such paternal effects are generic, rather than being a response to a specific type of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Becker
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
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