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Dittrich M, Bernhardt L, Penfold CA, Boroviak TE, Drummer C, Behr R, Müller T, Haaf T. Age-related and species-specific methylation changes in the protein-coding marmoset sperm epigenome. Aging Cell 2024:e14200. [PMID: 38757354 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The sperm epigenome is thought to affect the developmental programming of the resulting embryo, influencing health and disease in later life. Age-related methylation changes in the sperm of old fathers may mediate the increased risks for reproductive and offspring medical problems. The impact of paternal age on sperm methylation has been extensively studied in humans and, to a lesser extent, in rodents and cattle. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of paternal age effects on protein-coding genes in the human and marmoset sperm methylomes. The marmoset has gained growing importance as a non-human primate model of aging and age-related diseases. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, we identified age-related differentially methylated transcription start site (ageTSS) regions in 204 marmoset and 27 human genes. The direction of methylation changes was the opposite, increasing with age in marmosets and decreasing in humans. None of the identified ageTSS was differentially methylated in both species. Although the average methylation levels of all TSS regions were highly correlated between marmosets and humans, with the majority of TSS being hypomethylated in sperm, more than 300 protein-coding genes were endowed with species-specifically (hypo)methylated TSS. Several genes of the glycosphingolipid (GSL) biosynthesis pathway, which plays a role in embryonic stem cell differentiation and regulation of development, were hypomethylated (<5%) in human and fully methylated (>95%) in marmoset sperm. The expression levels and patterns of defined sets of GSL genes differed considerably between human and marmoset pre-implantation embryo stages and blastocyst tissues, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Dittrich
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Laura Bernhardt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christopher A Penfold
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thorsten E Boroviak
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Charis Drummer
- Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Behr
- Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Müller
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
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2
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Klutstein M, Gonen N. Epigenetic aging of mammalian gametes. Mol Reprod Dev 2023; 90:785-803. [PMID: 37997675 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23717] [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: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The process of aging refers to physiological changes that occur to an organism as time progresses and involves changes to DNA, proteins, metabolism, cells, and organs. Like the rest of the cells in the body, gametes age, and it is well established that there is a decline in reproductive capabilities in females and males with aging. One of the major pathways known to be involved in aging is epigenetic changes. The epigenome is the multitude of chemical modifications performed on DNA and chromatin that affect the ability of chromatin to be transcribed. In this review, we explore the effects of aging on female and male gametes with a focus on the epigenetic changes that occur in gametes throughout aging. Quality decline in oocytes occurs at a relatively early age. Epigenetic changes constitute an important part of oocyte aging. DNA methylation is reduced with age, along with reduced expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs). Histone deacetylases (HDAC) expression is also reduced, and a loss of heterochromatin marks occurs with age. As a consequence of heterochromatin loss, retrotransposon expression is elevated, and aged oocytes suffer from DNA damage. In sperm, aging affects sperm number, motility and fecundity, and epigenetic changes may constitute a part of this process. 5 methyl-cytosine (5mC) methylation is elevated in sperm from aged men, but methylation on Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINE) elements is reduced. Di and trimethylation of histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9me2/3) is reduced in sperm from aged men and trimethylation of histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) is elevated. The protamine makeup of sperm from aged men is also changed, with reduced protamine expression and a misbalanced ratio between protamine proteins protamine P1 and protamine P2. The study of epigenetic reproductive aging is recently gaining interest. The current status of the field suggests that many aspects of gamete epigenetic aging are still open for investigation. The clinical applications of these investigations have far-reaching consequences for fertility and sociological human behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Klutstein
- Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, Faculty of Dental Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nitzan Gonen
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Kotková L, Drábek J. Age-related changes in sperm DNA methylation and their forensic and clinical implications. Epigenomics 2023; 15:1157-1173. [PMID: 38031735 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0307] [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] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As a link between a stable genome and a dynamic environment, epigenetics is a promising tool for mapping age-related changes in human DNA. Methylated cytosine changes at specific loci are generally less studied in sperm DNA than in somatic cell DNA. Age-related methylation changes can be connected to various reproductive health problems and multiple disorders in offspring. In addition, they can be helpful in forensic fields, where testing of specific loci in semen samples found at sexual assault crime scenes can predict a perpetrator's age and narrow down the police investigation. This review focuses on age-related methylation changes in sperm. It covers the biological role of methylation, methylation testing techniques and the implications of methylation changes in forensics and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Kotková
- Institute of Molecular & Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, 77900, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Drábek
- Institute of Molecular & Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc, 77900, Czech Republic
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Wang X, Li W, Feng X, Li J, Liu GE, Fang L, Yu Y. Harnessing male germline epigenomics for the genetic improvement in cattle. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:76. [PMID: 37277852 PMCID: PMC10242889 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00874-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm is essential for successful artificial insemination in dairy cattle, and its quality can be influenced by both epigenetic modification and epigenetic inheritance. The bovine germline differentiation is characterized by epigenetic reprogramming, while intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance can influence the offspring's development through the transmission of epigenetic features to the offspring via the germline. Therefore, the selection of bulls with superior sperm quality for the production and fertility traits requires a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanism and more accurate identifications of epigenetic biomarkers. We have comprehensively reviewed the current progress in the studies of bovine sperm epigenome in terms of both resources and biological discovery in order to provide perspectives on how to harness this valuable information for genetic improvement in the cattle breeding industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Konge Larsen ApS, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xia Feng
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianbing Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Ying Yu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Zhang X, Li Y, Zhu C, Li F, Liu Z, Li X, Shen X, Wu Z, Fu M, Xu D, Tian Y, Huang Y. DNA Demethylation of Myogenic Genes May Contribute to Embryonic Leg Muscle Development Differences between Wuzong and Shitou Geese. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087188. [PMID: 37108353 PMCID: PMC10138404 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle development from embryonic stages to hatching is critical for poultry muscle growth, during which DNA methylation plays a vital role. However, it is not yet clear how DNA methylation affects early embryonic muscle development between goose breeds of different body size. In this study, whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was conducted on leg muscle tissue from Wuzong (WZE) and Shitou (STE) geese on embryonic day 15 (E15), E23, and post-hatch day 1. It was found that at E23, the embryonic leg muscle development of STE was more intense than that of WZE. A negative correlation was found between gene expression and DNA methylation around transcription start sites (TSSs), while a positive correlation was observed in the gene body near TTSs. It was also possible that earlier demethylation of myogenic genes around TSSs contributes to their earlier expression in WZE. Using pyrosequencing to analyze DNA methylation patterns of promoter regions, we also found that earlier demethylation of the MyoD1 promoter in WZE contributed to its earlier expression. This study reveals that DNA demethylation of myogenic genes may contribute to embryonic leg muscle development differences between Wuzong and Shitou geese.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xumeng Zhang
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Yong Li
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Chenyu Zhu
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Fada Li
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Zhiyuan Liu
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Xiujin Li
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Xu Shen
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Zhongping Wu
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Mengsi Fu
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Danning Xu
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Yunbo Tian
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
| | - Yunmao Huang
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
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Bernhardt L, Dittrich M, Prell A, Potabattula R, Drummer C, Behr R, Hahn T, Schorsch M, Müller T, Haaf T. Age-related methylation changes in the human sperm epigenome. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:1257-1278. [PMID: 36849136 PMCID: PMC10042684 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204546] [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: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Advanced paternal age is associated with increased risks for reproductive and offspring medical problems. Accumulating evidence suggests age-related changes in the sperm epigenome as one underlying mechanism. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing on 73 sperm samples of males attending a fertility center, we identified 1,162 (74%) regions which were significantly (FDR-adjusted) hypomethylated and 403 regions (26%) being hypermethylated with age. There were no significant correlations with paternal BMI, semen quality, or ART outcome. The majority (1,152 of 1,565; 74%) of age-related differentially methylated regions (ageDMRs) were located within genic regions, including 1,002 genes with symbols. Hypomethylated ageDMRs were closer to transcription start sites than hypermethylated DMRs, half of which reside in gene-distal regions. In this and conceptually related genome-wide studies, so far 2,355 genes have been reported with significant sperm ageDMRs, however most (90%) of them in only one study. The 241 genes which have been replicated at least once showed significant functional enrichments in 41 biological processes associated with development and the nervous system and in 10 cellular components associated with synapses and neurons. This supports the hypothesis that paternal age effects on the sperm methylome affect offspring behaviour and neurodevelopment. It is interesting to note that sperm ageDMRs were not randomly distributed throughout the human genome; chromosome 19 showed a highly significant twofold enrichment with sperm ageDMRs. Although the high gene density and CpG content have been conserved, the orthologous marmoset chromosome 22 did not appear to exhibit an increased regulatory potential by age-related DNA methylation changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bernhardt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Dittrich
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Prell
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ramya Potabattula
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Charis Drummer
- Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen and German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Behr
- Platform Degenerative Diseases, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen and German Center for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Tobias Müller
- Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
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Sokolov PL, Chebanenko NV, Mednaya DM. [Epigenetic influences and brain development]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2023; 123:12-19. [PMID: 36946391 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202312303112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the amount of scientific data on the involvement of epigenetic processes in the regulation of brain development in postnatal ontogenesis has been rapidly growing. The article provides an overview of scientific research on the mechanisms of epigenetic influences on brain development. Information was searched in the Scopus, Web of Science, MedLine, The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Pedro, Scholar, eLibrary, CyberLeninka and RSCI databases for the period 1940-2022 by keywords: brain development, epigenetics, neuroontogenesis, methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, non-coding RNAs. Today, the mechanisms of epigenetic influence on the genome include DNA and RNA methylation, covalent modification of histones, chromatin remodeling, and the influence of non-coding RNAs. Epigenetic modifications are often reversible and provide the necessary plasticity for the response of progenitor cells to environmental signals. The influence of each of these factors on the neurodevelopment is considered. The possibility of transsynaptic transmission of hereditary material by means of circular RNA is indicated. The main ways of microRNA influence on brain development are presented and their universality as an «overgenic» regulator of organism adaptation to external conditions is indicated. Data on the relationship of long non-coding RNAs with the regulation of the functional activity of oligodendroglia are presented. Also, the data presented indicate the paths to the pathogenetically determined prevention of congenital brain pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- P L Sokolov
- Voyno-Yasenetsky Scientific and Practical Center for Specialized Assistance for Children, Moscow, Russia
| | - N V Chebanenko
- Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - D M Mednaya
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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