51
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Godschalk R, Remels A, Hoogendoorn C, van Benthem J, Luijten M, Duale N, Brunborg G, Olsen AK, Bouwman FG, Munnia A, Peluso M, Mariman E, van Schooten FJ. Paternal Exposure to Environmental Chemical Stress Affects Male Offspring's Hepatic Mitochondria. Toxicol Sci 2019; 162:241-250. [PMID: 29145655 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Preconceptional paternal exposures may affect offspring's health, which cannot be explained by mutations in germ cells, but by persistent changes in the regulation of gene expression. Therefore, we investigated whether pre-conceptional paternal exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) could alter the offspring's phenotype. Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to B[a]P by gavage for 6 weeks, 3× per week, and were crossed with unexposed BALB-c females 6 weeks after the final exposure. The offspring was kept under normal feeding conditions and was sacrificed at 3 weeks of age. Analysis of the liver proteome by 2D-gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry indicated that proteins involved in mitochondrial function were significantly downregulated in the offspring of exposed fathers. This down-regulation of mitochondrial proteins was paralleled by a reduction in mitochondrial DNA copy number and reduced activity of citrate synthase and β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, but in male offspring only. Surprisingly, analysis of hepatic mRNA expression revealed a male-specific up-regulation of the genes, whose proteins were downregulated, including Aldh2 and Ogg1. This discrepancy could be related to several selected microRNA (miRNA)'s that regulate the translation of these proteins; miRNA-122, miRNA-129-2-5p, and miRNA-1941 were upregulated in a gender-specific manner. Since mitochondria are thought to be a source of intracellular reactive oxygen species, we additionally assessed oxidatively-induced DNA damage. Both 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine and malondialdehyde-dG adduct levels were significantly reduced in male offspring of exposed fathers. In conclusion, we show that paternal exposure to B[a]P can regulate mitochondrial metabolism in offspring, which may have profound implications for our understanding of health and disease risk inherited from fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Godschalk
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, NUTRIM, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6200MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Alex Remels
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, NUTRIM, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6200MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Camiel Hoogendoorn
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, NUTRIM, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6200MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan van Benthem
- Laboratory for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mirjam Luijten
- Laboratory for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Nur Duale
- Department of Molecular Biology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunnar Brunborg
- Department of Molecular Biology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ann-Karin Olsen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway
| | - Freek G Bouwman
- Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Armelle Munnia
- Cancer Risk Factor Branch, Cancer Prevention Laboratory, ISPO-Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Peluso
- Cancer Risk Factor Branch, Cancer Prevention Laboratory, ISPO-Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, Florence, Italy
| | - Edwin Mariman
- Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Frederik Jan van Schooten
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, NUTRIM, School for Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6200MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
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52
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Muratori M, De Geyter C. Chromatin condensation, fragmentation of DNA and differences in the epigenetic signature of infertile men. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019; 33:117-126. [PMID: 30420311 DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies report an increase of pathologies of male reproductive tracts and suggest a link between this trend and the increased exposure of men to endocrine disruptors (EDs). The mechanisms by which EDs impact male fertility are far to be elucidated although DNA, chromatin and epigenome of spermatozoa appear to be relevant targets for these molecules. Indeed, many studies report associations between increased levels of sperm DNA fragmentation (sDF) or aberrant chromatin condensation or epigenetic modifications and poor semen quality and/or infertile phenotype. In this scenario, therapies able to reduce sperm damage to DNA, chromatin and epigenome are sought. Currently, antioxidants and FSH administration is proposed for treating high levels of sDF, but whether or not such therapies are really effective is still debated. Further studies are necessary to understand the link between endocrine disruptor exposure and damage to sperm function and/or structure and thus to define effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Muratori
- Department of Experimental, Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Sexual Medicine and Andrology, Center of Excellence DeNothe, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini, 6, I-50139, Firenze, Italy.
| | - Christian De Geyter
- Reproductive Medicine and Gynecological Endocrinology (RME), University Hospital, University of Basel, Vogesenstrasse 134, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
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53
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Larose H, Shami AN, Abbott H, Manske G, Lei L, Hammoud SS. Gametogenesis: A journey from inception to conception. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 132:257-310. [PMID: 30797511 PMCID: PMC7133493 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Gametogenesis, the process of forming mature germ cells, is an integral part of both an individual's and a species' health and well-being. This chapter focuses on critical male and female genetic and epigenetic processes underlying normal gamete formation through their differentiation to fertilization. Finally, we explore how knowledge gained from this field has contributed to progress in areas with great clinical promise, such as in vitro gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey Larose
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | | | - Haley Abbott
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Gabriel Manske
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Lei Lei
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
| | - Saher Sue Hammoud
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Urology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
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54
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Oberbauer V, Schaefer MR. tRNA-Derived Small RNAs: Biogenesis, Modification, Function and Potential Impact on Human Disease Development. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9120607. [PMID: 30563140 PMCID: PMC6315542 DOI: 10.3390/genes9120607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are abundant small non-coding RNAs that are crucially important for decoding genetic information. Besides fulfilling canonical roles as adaptor molecules during protein synthesis, tRNAs are also the source of a heterogeneous class of small RNAs, tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs). Occurrence and the relatively high abundance of tsRNAs has been noted in many high-throughput sequencing data sets, leading to largely correlative assumptions about their potential as biologically active entities. tRNAs are also the most modified RNAs in any cell type. Mutations in tRNA biogenesis factors including tRNA modification enzymes correlate with a variety of human disease syndromes. However, whether it is the lack of tRNAs or the activity of functionally relevant tsRNAs that are causative for human disease development remains to be elucidated. Here, we review the current knowledge in regard to tsRNAs biogenesis, including the impact of RNA modifications on tRNA stability and discuss the existing experimental evidence in support for the seemingly large functional spectrum being proposed for tsRNAs. We also argue that improved methodology allowing exact quantification and specific manipulation of tsRNAs will be necessary before developing these small RNAs into diagnostic biomarkers and when aiming to harness them for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Oberbauer
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Matthias R Schaefer
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University Vienna, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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55
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Tabuchi TM, Rechtsteiner A, Jeffers TE, Egelhofer TA, Murphy CT, Strome S. Caenorhabditis elegans sperm carry a histone-based epigenetic memory of both spermatogenesis and oogenesis. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4310. [PMID: 30333496 PMCID: PMC6193031 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06236-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Paternal contributions to epigenetic inheritance are not well understood. Paternal contributions via marked nucleosomes are particularly understudied, in part because sperm in some organisms replace the majority of nucleosome packaging with protamine packaging. Here we report that in Caenorhabditis elegans sperm, the genome is packaged in nucleosomes and carries a histone-based epigenetic memory of genes expressed during spermatogenesis, which unexpectedly include genes well known for their expression during oogenesis. In sperm, genes with spermatogenesis-restricted expression are uniquely marked with both active and repressive marks, which may reflect a sperm-specific chromatin signature. We further demonstrate that epigenetic information provided by sperm is important and in fact sufficient to guide proper germ cell development in offspring. This study establishes one mode of paternal epigenetic inheritance and offers a potential mechanism for how the life experiences of fathers may impact the development and health of their descendants. Paternal contributions to epigenetic inheritance via nucleosomes are poorly understood, as sperm in many organisms replace the majority of nucleosomes with protamines. Here the authors provide evidence that Caenorhabditis elegans sperm retain histone packaging of the genome and provide a histone-based epigenetic memory that is important for germ cell development in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko M Tabuchi
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Andreas Rechtsteiner
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Tess E Jeffers
- Department of Molecular Biology and LSI Genomics, Carl Icahn Lab 148, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08545, USA
| | - Thea A Egelhofer
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Coleen T Murphy
- Department of Molecular Biology and LSI Genomics, Carl Icahn Lab 148, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08545, USA
| | - Susan Strome
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
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56
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Yehuda R, Lehrner A. Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. World Psychiatry 2018; 17:243-257. [PMID: 30192087 PMCID: PMC6127768 DOI: 10.1002/wps.20568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reviews the research evidence concerning the intergenerational transmission of trauma effects and the possible role of epigenetic mechanisms in this transmission. Two broad categories of epigenetically mediated effects are highlighted. The first involves developmentally programmed effects. These can result from the influence of the offspring's early environmental exposures, including postnatal maternal care as well as in utero exposure reflecting maternal stress during pregnancy. The second includes epigenetic changes associated with a preconception trauma in parents that may affect the germline, and impact fetoplacental interactions. Several factors, such as sex-specific epigenetic effects following trauma exposure and parental developmental stage at the time of exposure, explain different effects of maternal and paternal trauma. The most compelling work to date has been done in animal models, where the opportunity for controlled designs enables clear interpretations of transmissible effects. Given the paucity of human studies and the methodological challenges in conducting such studies, it is not possible to attribute intergenerational effects in humans to a single set of biological or other determinants at this time. Elucidating the role of epigenetic mechanisms in intergenerational effects through prospective, multi-generational studies may ultimately yield a cogent understanding of how individual, cultural and societal experiences permeate our biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Yehuda
- James J. Peters Bronx Veterans Affairs Hospital, Bronx, NY, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amy Lehrner
- James J. Peters Bronx Veterans Affairs Hospital, Bronx, NY, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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57
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Klastrup LK, Bak ST, Nielsen AL. The influence of paternal diet on sncRNA-mediated epigenetic inheritance. Mol Genet Genomics 2018; 294:1-11. [PMID: 30229293 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-018-1492-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The risk of developing metabolic diseases is conferred by genetic predisposition from risk genes and by environmental exposures that can manifest in epigenetic changes. The global rise in obesity and type II diabetes has motivated a search for the epigenetic factors underlying these diseases. The possibility of transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic changes raises questions regarding how spermatozoa transmit acquired epigenetic changes that affect the metabolic health of the next generation. The purpose of this review is to describe current key literature concerning small non-coding RNA (sncRNA), specifically (1) the effects of high-fat or low-protein diets on sncRNA presence in spermatozoa; (2) sncRNA transmission from father to offspring; and (3) the functional effects of inherited sncRNA on offspring metabolic phenotype. Current research has identified alterations in the content of sncRNA subtypes, including microRNA (miRNA), Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA), and transferRNA (tRNA)-derived small non-coding RNA (tsncRNA), in spermatozoa in response to both high-fat diets and low-protein diets. The altered content of spermatozoa sncRNA due to high-fat diets was associated with a changed phenotype in offspring, with offspring displaying insulin resistance, altered body weight, and glucose intolerance. The altered sncRNA content of spermatozoa due to a low-protein diet was associated with altered levels of lipid metabolites in offspring and decreased expression of specific genes starting in two-cell embryos. The current literature suggests that sncRNAs mediate paternal intergenerational epigenetic inheritance and thus has a direct functional importance, as well as possess biomarker potential, for metabolic diseases. Further research is urgently required to identify the specific sncRNAs with the most profound impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Line Katrine Klastrup
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Bartholin Building, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Stine Thorhauge Bak
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Bartholin Building, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anders Lade Nielsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Bartholin Building, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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58
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Cold-induced epigenetic programming of the sperm enhances brown adipose tissue activity in the offspring. Nat Med 2018; 24:1372-1383. [PMID: 29988127 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-018-0102-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has focused on environmental effects that control tissue functionality and systemic metabolism. However, whether such stimuli affect human thermogenesis and body mass index (BMI) has not been explored. Here we show retrospectively that the presence of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the season of conception are linked to BMI in humans. In mice, we demonstrate that cold exposure (CE) of males, but not females, before mating results in improved systemic metabolism and protection from diet-induced obesity of the male offspring. Integrated analyses of the DNA methylome and RNA sequencing of the sperm from male mice revealed several clusters of co-regulated differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs), suggesting that the improved metabolic health of the offspring was due to enhanced BAT formation and increased neurogenesis. The conclusions are supported by cell-autonomous studies in the offspring that demonstrate an enhanced capacity to form mature active brown adipocytes, improved neuronal density and more norepinephrine release in BAT in response to cold stimulation. Taken together, our results indicate that in humans and in mice, seasonal or experimental CE induces an epigenetic programming of the sperm such that the offspring harbor hyperactive BAT and an improved adaptation to overnutrition and hypothermia.
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59
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60
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The sperm factor: paternal impact beyond genes. Heredity (Edinb) 2018; 121:239-247. [PMID: 29959427 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-018-0111-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The fact that sperm carry more than the paternal DNA has only been discovered just over a decade ago. With this discovery, the idea that the paternal condition may have direct implications for the fitness of the offspring had to be revisited. While this idea is still highly debated, empirical evidence for paternal effects is accumulating. Male condition not only affects male fertility but also offspring early development and performance later in life. Several factors have been identified as possible carriers of non-genetic information, but we still know little about their origin and function and even less about their causation. I consider four possible non-mutually exclusive adaptive and non-adaptive explanations for the existence of paternal effects in an evolutionary context. In addition, I provide a brief overview of the main non-genetic components found in sperm including DNA methylation, chromatin modifications, RNAs and proteins. I discuss their putative functions and present currently available examples for their role in transferring non-genetic information from the father to the offspring. Finally, I identify some of the most important open questions and present possible future research avenues.
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61
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Patton GC, Olsson CA, Skirbekk V, Saffery R, Wlodek ME, Azzopardi PS, Stonawski M, Rasmussen B, Spry E, Francis K, Bhutta ZA, Kassebaum NJ, Mokdad AH, Murray CJL, Prentice AM, Reavley N, Sheehan P, Sweeny K, Viner RM, Sawyer SM. Adolescence and the next generation. Nature 2018; 554:458-466. [PMID: 29469095 DOI: 10.1038/nature25759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Adolescent growth and social development shape the early development of offspring from preconception through to the post-partum period through distinct processes in males and females. At a time of great change in the forces shaping adolescence, including the timing of parenthood, investments in today's adolescents, the largest cohort in human history, will yield great dividends for future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- George C Patton
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Craig A Olsson
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Vegard Skirbekk
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Nydalen, Oslo 0403, Norway.,Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Richard Saffery
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Mary E Wlodek
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Physiology, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Peter S Azzopardi
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Maternal and Child Health Program, International Development Discipline, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Wardliparingga Aboriginal Research Unit, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Marcin Stonawski
- Department of Demography, Cracow University of Economics, Cracow 31-510, Poland.,European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Centre for Advanced Studies, Ispra, Varese 21027, Italy
| | - Bruce Rasmussen
- Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Spry
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Deakin University Geelong, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Kate Francis
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- SickKids Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada.,Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
| | - Nicholas J Kassebaum
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98121, USA.,Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA
| | - Ali H Mokdad
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98121, USA
| | - Christopher J L Murray
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98121, USA
| | - Andrew M Prentice
- MRC Unit The Gambia, Fajara, Gambia.,MRC International Nutrition Group, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Nicola Reavley
- The University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Peter Sheehan
- Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Kim Sweeny
- Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Russell M Viner
- UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Susan M Sawyer
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.,Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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62
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Unpackaging the genetics of mammalian fertility: strategies to identify the “reproductive genome”†. Biol Reprod 2018; 99:1119-1128. [DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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63
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Gòdia M, Mayer FQ, Nafissi J, Castelló A, Rodríguez-Gil JE, Sánchez A, Clop A. A technical assessment of the porcine ejaculated spermatozoa for a sperm-specific RNA-seq analysis. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2018; 64:291-303. [PMID: 29696996 DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2018.1464610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The study of the boar sperm transcriptome by RNA-seq can provide relevant information on sperm quality and fertility and might contribute to animal breeding strategies. However, the analysis of the spermatozoa RNA is challenging as these cells harbor very low amounts of highly fragmented RNA, and the ejaculates also contain other cell types with larger amounts of non-fragmented RNA. Here, we describe a strategy for a successful boar sperm purification, RNA extraction and RNA-seq library preparation. Using these approaches our objectives were: (i) to evaluate the sperm recovery rate (SRR) after boar spermatozoa purification by density centrifugation using the non-porcine-specific commercial reagent BoviPureTM; (ii) to assess the correlation between SRR and sperm quality characteristics; (iii) to evaluate the relationship between sperm cell RNA load and sperm quality traits and (iv) to compare different library preparation kits for both total RNA-seq (SMARTer Universal Low Input RNA and TruSeq RNA Library Prep kit) and small RNA-seq (NEBNext Small RNA and TailorMix miRNA Sample Prep v2) for high-throughput sequencing. Our results show that pig SRR (~22%) is lower than in other mammalian species and that it is not significantly dependent of the sperm quality parameters analyzed in our study. Moreover, no relationship between the RNA yield per sperm cell and sperm phenotypes was found. We compared a RNA-seq library preparation kit optimized for low amounts of fragmented RNA with a standard kit designed for high amount and quality of input RNA and found that for sperm, a protocol designed to work on low-quality RNA is essential. We also compared two small RNA-seq kits and did not find substantial differences in their performance. We propose the methodological workflow described for the RNA-seq screening of the boar spermatozoa transcriptome. ABBREVIATIONS FPKM: fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads; KRT1: keratin 1; miRNA: micro-RNA; miscRNA: miscellaneous RNA; Mt rRNA: mitochondrial ribosomal RNA; Mt tRNA: mitochondrial transference RNA; OAZ3: ornithine decarboxylase antizyme 3; ORT: osmotic resistance test; piRNA: Piwi-interacting RNA; PRM1: protamine 1; PTPRC: protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C; rRNA: ribosomal RNA; snoRNA: small nucleolar RNA; snRNA: small nuclear RNA; SRR: sperm recovery rate; tRNA: transfer RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gòdia
- a Animal Genomics Group , Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics-CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB , Cerdanyola del Valles , Catalonia , Spain
| | - Fabiana Quoos Mayer
- a Animal Genomics Group , Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics-CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB , Cerdanyola del Valles , Catalonia , Spain.,b Agricultural Diagnostic and Research Departament , Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor, Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation , Eldorado do Sul , Rio Grande do Sul , Brazil
| | - Julieta Nafissi
- a Animal Genomics Group , Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics-CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB , Cerdanyola del Valles , Catalonia , Spain.,c Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology , Technology Institute (INTEC), Argentine University of Enterprise (UADE) , Buenos Aires , Argentina
| | - Anna Castelló
- a Animal Genomics Group , Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics-CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB , Cerdanyola del Valles , Catalonia , Spain.,d Unit of Animal Science, Department of Animal Science and Nutrition , Autonomous University of Barcelona , Cerdanyola del Valles , Catalonia , Spain
| | - Joan Enric Rodríguez-Gil
- e Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery , Autonomous University of Barcelona , Cerdanyola del Valles , Catalonia , Spain
| | - Armand Sánchez
- a Animal Genomics Group , Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics-CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB , Cerdanyola del Valles , Catalonia , Spain.,d Unit of Animal Science, Department of Animal Science and Nutrition , Autonomous University of Barcelona , Cerdanyola del Valles , Catalonia , Spain
| | - Alex Clop
- a Animal Genomics Group , Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics-CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB , Cerdanyola del Valles , Catalonia , Spain
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Eckersley-Maslin MA, Alda-Catalinas C, Reik W. Dynamics of the epigenetic landscape during the maternal-to-zygotic transition. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2018; 19:436-450. [DOI: 10.1038/s41580-018-0008-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Illum LRH, Bak ST, Lund S, Nielsen AL. DNA methylation in epigenetic inheritance of metabolic diseases through the male germ line. J Mol Endocrinol 2018; 60:R39-R56. [PMID: 29203518 DOI: 10.1530/jme-17-0189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The global rise in metabolic diseases can be attributed to a complex interplay between biology, behavior and environmental factors. This article reviews the current literature concerning DNA methylation-based epigenetic inheritance (intergenerational and transgenerational) of metabolic diseases through the male germ line. Included are a presentation of the basic principles for DNA methylation in developmental programming, and a description of windows of susceptibility for the inheritance of environmentally induced aberrations in DNA methylation and their associated metabolic disease phenotypes. To this end, escapees, genomic regions with the intrinsic potential to transmit acquired paternal epigenetic information across generations by escaping the extensive programmed DNA demethylation that occurs during gametogenesis and in the zygote, are described. The ongoing descriptive and functional examinations of DNA methylation in the relevant biological samples, in conjugation with analyses of non-coding RNA and histone modifications, hold promise for improved delineation of the effect size and mechanistic background for epigenetic inheritance of metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stine Thorhauge Bak
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sten Lund
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetes, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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Chamorro-Garcia R, Diaz-Castillo C, Shoucri BM, Käch H, Leavitt R, Shioda T, Blumberg B. Ancestral perinatal obesogen exposure results in a transgenerational thrifty phenotype in mice. Nat Commun 2017; 8:2012. [PMID: 29222412 PMCID: PMC5722856 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01944-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ancestral environmental exposures to non-mutagenic agents can exert effects in unexposed descendants. This transgenerational inheritance has significant implications for understanding disease etiology. Here we show that exposure of F0 mice to the obesogen tributyltin (TBT) throughout pregnancy and lactation predisposes unexposed F4 male descendants to obesity when dietary fat is increased. Analyses of body fat, plasma hormone levels, and visceral white adipose tissue DNA methylome and transcriptome collectively indicate that the F4 obesity is consistent with a leptin resistant, thrifty phenotype. Ancestral TBT exposure induces global changes in DNA methylation and altered expression of metabolism-relevant genes. Analysis of chromatin accessibility in F3 and F4 sperm reveals significant differences between control and TBT groups and significant similarities between F3 and F4 TBT groups that overlap with areas of differential methylation in F4 adipose tissue. Our data suggest that ancestral TBT exposure induces changes in chromatin organization transmissible through meiosis and mitosis. Early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals has been linked to increased adiposity during adulthood. Here Chamorro-García et al. show that ancestral exposure to the obesogen tributyltin causes obesity in untreated F4 generation male descendants by inducing heritable changes in genome architecture that promote a thrifty phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Chamorro-Garcia
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA
| | - Carlos Diaz-Castillo
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA
| | - Bassem M Shoucri
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA
| | - Heidi Käch
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Ron Leavitt
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA
| | - Toshi Shioda
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Bldg 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
| | - Bruce Blumberg
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, 2011 Biological Sciences 3, Irvine, CA, 92697-2300, USA. .,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, 92697-2300, CA, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 92697-2300, CA, USA.
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67
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Maguire G. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as a protein level, non-genomic disease: Therapy with S2RM exosome released molecules. World J Stem Cells 2017; 9:187-202. [PMID: 29312526 PMCID: PMC5745587 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v9.i11.187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disease that leads to death. No effective treatments are currently available. Based on data from epidemiological, etiological, laboratory, and clinical studies, I offer a new way of thinking about ALS and its treatment. This paper describes a host of extrinsic factors, including the exposome, that disrupt the extracellular matrix and protein function such that a spreading, prion-like disease leads to neurodegeneration in the motor tracts. A treatment regimen is described using the stem cell released molecules from a number of types of adult stem cells to provide tissue dependent molecules that restore homeostasis, including proteostasis, in the ALS patient. Because stem cells themselves as a therapeutic are cumbersome and expensive, and when implanted in a host cause aging of the host tissue and often fail to engraft or remain viable, only the S2RM molecules are used. Rebuilding of the extracellular matrix and repair of the dysfunctional proteins in the ALS patient ensues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg Maguire
- BioRegenerative Sciences, Inc., La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
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68
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Why is parental lifespan linked to children's chances of reaching a high age? A transgenerational hypothesis. SSM Popul Health 2017; 4:45-54. [PMID: 29349272 PMCID: PMC5769101 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Transgenerational determinants of longevity are poorly understood. We used data from four linked generations (G0, G1, G2 and G3) of the Uppsala Birth Cohort Multigeneration Study to address this issue. Methods Mortality in G1 (N = 9565) was followed from 1961–2015 and analysed in relation to tertiles of their parents’ (G0) age-at-death using Cox regression. Parental social class and marital status were adjusted for in the analyses, as was G1’s birth order and adult social class. For an almost entirely deceased segment of G1 (n = 1149), born 1915–1917, we compared exact age-at-death with G0 parents’ age-at-death. Finally, we explored ‘resilience’ as a potentially important mechanism for intergenerational transmission of longevity, using conscript information from psychological interviews of G2 and G3 men. Results G0 men’s and women’s ages-at-death were independently associated with G1 midlife and old age mortality. This association was robust and minimally reduced when G0 and G1 social class were adjusted for. We observed an increased lifespan in all social groups. Median difference in age-at-death for sons compared to fathers was + 3.9 years, and + 6.9 years for daughters compared to mothers. Parents’ and maternal grandmother’s longevity were associated with resilience in subsequent generations. Resilience scores of G2 men were also associated with those of their G3 sons and with their own mortality in midlife. Conclusions The chance of reaching a high age is transmitted from parents to children in a modest, but robust way. Longevity inheritance is paralleled by the inheritance of individual resilience. Individual resilience, we propose, develops in the first part of life as a response to adversity and early experience in general. This gives rise to a transgenerational pathway, distinct from social class trajectories. A theory of longevity inheritance should bring together previous thinking around general susceptibility, frailty and resilience with new insights from epigenetics and social epidemiology. Parents’ ages-at-death predict children's midlife and old-age mortality. We speculate that these results reflect early programming of resilience. Male resilience, measured at age 18, predicts mortality between ages 50 and 65. Resilience is transmitted across generations, from fathers to sons. Male descendants to long-lived parents are somewhat more resilient than their peers.
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Liu Y, Ding Z. Obesity, a serious etiologic factor for male subfertility in modern society. Reproduction 2017; 154:R123-R131. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-17-0161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 07/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Obesity, defined as excessive accumulation of fat in adipose tissue, is a metabolic disorder resulting from behavioral, environmental and heritable causes. Obesity increases the risks of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, osteoarthritis and cancer. Meanwhile, the negative impact of obesity on male reproduction is gradually recognized. According to the clinical investigations and animal experiments, obesity is correlated with reductions in sperm concentration and motility, increase in sperm DNA damage and changes in reproductive hormones. Several mechanisms can elucidate the effects of obesity on sperm functions and male subfertility, i.e., the excessive conversion of androgens into estrogens in redundant adipose tissue causes sexual hormone imbalance, subsequently resulting in hypogonadism. Secondly, adipokines produced by adipose tissue induce severe inflammation and oxidative stress in male reproductive tract, directly impairing testicular and epididymal tissues. Moreover, increased scrotal adiposity leads to increase gonadal heat, continuously hurting spermatogenesis. Therefore, obesity alters the systematic and regional environment crucial for spermatogenesis in testis and sperm maturation in epididymis, and finally results in poor sperm quality including decreased sperm motility, abnormal sperm morphology and acrosome reaction, changed membrane lipids and increased DNA damage. Furthermore, recent studies indicate that epigenetic changes may be a consequence of increased adiposity. A major effort to identify epigenetic determinants of obesity revealed that sperm DNA methylation and non-coding RNA modification are associated with BMI changes and proposed to inherit metabolic comorbidities across generations. This review will explain how obesity-related changes in males to influence sperm function and male fertility as well.
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Rompala GR, Finegersh A, Slater M, Homanics GE. Paternal preconception alcohol exposure imparts intergenerational alcohol-related behaviors to male offspring on a pure C57BL/6J background. Alcohol 2017; 60:169-177. [PMID: 27876231 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
While alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a highly heritable condition, the basis of AUD in families with a history of alcoholism is difficult to explain by genetic variation alone. Emerging evidence suggests that parental experience prior to conception can affect inheritance of complex behaviors in offspring via non-genomic (epigenetic) mechanisms. For instance, male C57BL/6J (B6) mice exposed to chronic intermittent vapor ethanol (CIE) prior to mating with Strain 129S1/SvImJ ethanol-naïve females produce male offspring with reduced ethanol-drinking preference, increased ethanol sensitivity, and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that these intergenerational effects of paternal CIE are reproducible in male offspring on an inbred B6 background. To this end, B6 males were exposed to 6 weeks of CIE (or room air as a control) before mating with ethanol-naïve B6 females to produce ethanol (E)-sired and control (C)-sired male and female offspring. We observed a sex-specific effect, as E-sired males exhibited decreased two-bottle free-choice ethanol-drinking preference, increased sensitivity to the anxiolytic effects of ethanol, and increased VTA BDNF expression; no differences were observed in female offspring. These findings confirm and extend our previous results by demonstrating that the effects of paternal preconception ethanol are reproducible using genetically identical, inbred B6 animals.
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71
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Attie AD, Churchill GA, Nadeau JH. How mice are indispensable for understanding obesity and diabetes genetics. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2017; 24:83-91. [PMID: 28107248 PMCID: PMC5837807 DOI: 10.1097/med.0000000000000321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The task of cataloging human genetic variation and its relation to disease is rapidly approaching completion. The new challenge is to discover the function of disease-associated genes and to understand the pathways that lead to human disease. We propose that achieving this new level of understanding will increasingly rely on the use of model organisms. We discuss the advantages of the mouse as a model organism to our understanding of human disease. RECENT FINDINGS The collection of available mouse strains represents as much genetic and phenotypic variation as is found in the human population. However, unlike humans, mice can be subjected to experimental breeding protocols and the availability of tissues allows for a far greater and deeper level of phenotyping. New methods for gene editing make it relatively easy to create mouse models of known human mutations. The distinction between genetic and epigenetic inheritance can be studied in great detail. Various experimental protocols enable the exploration of the role of the microbiome in physiology and disease. SUMMARY We propose that there will be an interdependence between human and model organism research. Technological advances and new genetic screening platforms in the mouse have greatly improved the path to gene discovery and mechanistic studies of gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Attie
- aDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin bThe Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine cPacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Abstract
Exposure of mother worms to mild osmotic stress induces gene expression changes in offspring that protect them from strong osmotic stress. Inheritance of protection is now shown to depend on altered insulin-like signalling in the maternal germline, which confers protection through increased expression of zygotic gpdh-2, a rate-limiting enzyme in glycerol biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyomi R Kaneshiro
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
| | - Susan Strome
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
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73
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Jung YH, Sauria MEG, Lyu X, Cheema MS, Ausio J, Taylor J, Corces VG. Chromatin States in Mouse Sperm Correlate with Embryonic and Adult Regulatory Landscapes. Cell Rep 2017; 18:1366-1382. [PMID: 28178516 PMCID: PMC5313040 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian sperm genome is thought to lack substantial information for the regulation of future expression after fertilization. Here, we show that most promoters in mouse sperm are flanked by well-positioned nucleosomes marked by active histone modifications. Analysis of these modifications suggests that many enhancers and super-enhancers functional in embryonic and adult tissues are already specified in sperm. The sperm genome is bound by CTCF and cohesin at sites that are also present in round spermatids and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). These sites mediate interactions that organize the sperm genome into domains and compartments that overlap extensively with those found in mESCs. These results suggest that sperm carry a rich source of regulatory information, encoded in part by its three-dimensional folding specified by CTCF and cohesin. This information may contribute to future expression during embryonic and adult life, suggesting mechanisms by which environmental effects on the paternal germline are transmitted transgenerationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon Hee Jung
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Michael E G Sauria
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Xiaowen Lyu
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Manjinder S Cheema
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6, Canada
| | - Juan Ausio
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6, Canada
| | - James Taylor
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Computer Science, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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74
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Jung YH, Sauria MEG, Lyu X, Cheema MS, Ausio J, Taylor J, Corces VG. Chromatin States in Mouse Sperm Correlate with Embryonic and Adult Regulatory Landscapes. Cell Rep 2017. [PMID: 28178516 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.01.034.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian sperm genome is thought to lack substantial information for the regulation of future expression after fertilization. Here, we show that most promoters in mouse sperm are flanked by well-positioned nucleosomes marked by active histone modifications. Analysis of these modifications suggests that many enhancers and super-enhancers functional in embryonic and adult tissues are already specified in sperm. The sperm genome is bound by CTCF and cohesin at sites that are also present in round spermatids and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). These sites mediate interactions that organize the sperm genome into domains and compartments that overlap extensively with those found in mESCs. These results suggest that sperm carry a rich source of regulatory information, encoded in part by its three-dimensional folding specified by CTCF and cohesin. This information may contribute to future expression during embryonic and adult life, suggesting mechanisms by which environmental effects on the paternal germline are transmitted transgenerationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoon Hee Jung
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Michael E G Sauria
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Xiaowen Lyu
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Manjinder S Cheema
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6, Canada
| | - Juan Ausio
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 3P6, Canada
| | - James Taylor
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Computer Science, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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75
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Sharma A. Transgenerational epigenetics: Integrating soma to germline communication with gametic inheritance. Mech Ageing Dev 2017; 163:15-22. [PMID: 28093237 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2016.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Evidence supporting germline mediated epigenetic inheritance of environmentally induced traits has increasingly emerged over the past several years. Although the mechanisms underlying this inheritance remain unclear, recent findings suggest that parental gamete-borne epigenetic factors, particularly RNAs, affect post-fertilization and developmental gene regulation, ultimately leading to phenotypic appearance in the offspring. Complex processes involving gene expression and epigenetic regulation are considered to perpetuate across generations. In addition to transfer of germline factors, epigenetic inheritance via gametes also requires a mechanism whereby the information pertaining to the induced traits is communicated from soma to germline. Despite violating a century-old view in biology, this communication seems to play a role in transmission of environmental effects across generations. Circulating RNAs, especially those associated with extracellular vesicles like exosomes, are emerging as promising candidates that can transmit gene regulatory information in this direction. Cumulatively, these new observations provide a basis to integrate epigenetic inheritance. With significant implications in health, disease and ageing, the latter appears poised to revolutionize biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhay Sharma
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Sukhdev Vihar, Mathura Road, New Delhi, 110025, India.
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Intersections of post-transcriptional gene regulatory mechanisms with intermediary metabolism. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2017; 1860:349-362. [PMID: 28088440 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Intermediary metabolism studies have typically concentrated on four major regulatory mechanisms-substrate availability, allosteric enzyme regulation, post-translational enzyme modification, and regulated enzyme synthesis. Although transcriptional control has been a big focus, it is becoming increasingly evident that many post-transcriptional events are deeply embedded within the core regulatory circuits of enzyme synthesis/breakdown that maintain metabolic homeostasis. The prominent post-transcriptional mechanisms affecting intermediary metabolism include alternative pre-mRNA processing, mRNA stability and translation control, and the more recently discovered regulation by noncoding RNAs. In this review, we discuss the latest advances in our understanding of these diverse mechanisms at the cell-, tissue- and organismal-level. We also highlight the dynamics, complexity and non-linear nature of their regulatory roles in metabolic decision making, and deliberate some of the outstanding questions and challenges in this rapidly expanding field.
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77
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McCarrey JR, Lehle JD, Raju SS, Wang Y, Nilsson EE, Skinner MK. Tertiary Epimutations - A Novel Aspect of Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance Promoting Genome Instability. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168038. [PMID: 27992467 PMCID: PMC5167269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to environmental factors can induce the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of disease. Alterations to the epigenome termed “epimutations” include “primary epimutations” which are epigenetic alterations in the absence of genetic change and “secondary epimutations” which form following an initial genetic change. To determine if secondary epimutations contribute to transgenerational transmission of disease following in utero exposure to the endocrine disruptor vinclozolin, we exposed pregnant female rats carrying the lacI mutation-reporter transgene to vinclozolin and assessed the frequency of mutations in kidney tissue and sperm recovered from F1 and F3 generation progeny. Our results confirm that vinclozolin induces primary epimutations rather than secondary epimutations, but also suggest that some primary epimutations can predispose a subsequent accelerated accumulation of genetic mutations in F3 generation descendants that have the potential to contribute to transgenerational phenotypes. We therefore propose the existence of “tertiary epimutations” which are initial primary epimutations that promote genome instability leading to an accelerated accumulation of genetic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. McCarrey
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jake D. Lehle
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX United States of America
| | - Seetha S. Raju
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX United States of America
| | - Yufeng Wang
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX United States of America
| | - Eric E. Nilsson
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA United States of America
| | - Michael K. Skinner
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA United States of America
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78
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Extracellular RNA is transported from one generation to the next in Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:12496-12501. [PMID: 27791108 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1608959113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Experiences during the lifetime of an animal have been proposed to have consequences for subsequent generations. Although it is unclear how such intergenerational transfer of information occurs, RNAs found extracellularly in animals are candidate molecules that can transfer gene-specific regulatory information from one generation to the next because they can enter cells and regulate gene expression. In support of this idea, when double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is introduced into some animals, the dsRNA can silence genes of matching sequence and the silencing can persist in progeny. Such persistent gene silencing is thought to result from sequence-specific interaction of the RNA within parents to generate chromatin modifications, DNA methylation, and/or secondary RNAs, which are then inherited by progeny. Here, we show that dsRNA can be directly transferred between generations in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans Intergenerational transfer of dsRNA occurs even in animals that lack any DNA of matching sequence, and dsRNA that reaches progeny can spread between cells to cause gene silencing. Surprisingly, extracellular dsRNA can also reach progeny without entry into the cytosol, presumably within intracellular vesicles. Fluorescently labeled dsRNA is imported from extracellular space into oocytes along with yolk and accumulates in punctate structures within embryos. Subsequent entry into the cytosol of early embryos causes gene silencing in progeny. These results demonstrate the transport of extracellular RNA from one generation to the next to regulate gene expression in an animal and thus suggest a mechanism for the transmission of experience-dependent effects between generations.
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Abstract
Many findings support the hypothesis that metabolic changes associated with environmental factors can be transmitted from father to offspring. The molecular mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of metabolic changes remain to be fully explored. These acquired metabolic disorders in offspring may be partially explained by some potential epigenetic information carriers such as DNA methylation, histone modification and small non-coding RNAs. Recent evidence shows that sperm tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) as a type of paternal epigenetic information carrier may mediate intergenerational inheritance. In this review, we provide current knowledge of a father's influence on metabolic disorders in subsequent generations and discuss the roles of sperm tsRNAs and their modifications in paternal epigenetic information transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghong Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and MetabolismCAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Sciences, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiwei Zhai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition and MetabolismCAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Sciences, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China School of Life Science and TechnologyShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
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80
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Tillo D, Mukherjee S, Vinson C. Inheritance of Cytosine Methylation. J Cell Physiol 2016; 231:2346-52. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Desiree Tillo
- Laboratory of Metabolism; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
| | - Sanjit Mukherjee
- Laboratory of Metabolism; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
| | - Charles Vinson
- Laboratory of Metabolism; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
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