When Dad’s Stress Gets under Kid’s Skin—Impacts of Stress on Germline Cargo and Embryonic Development


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Date

2023-12-06

Publication Type

Journal Article, Journal Article

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

Altmetric

Data

Abstract

Multiple lines of evidence suggest that paternal psychological stress contributes to an increased prevalence of neuropsychiatric and metabolic diseases in the progeny. While altered paternal care certainly plays a role in such transmitted disease risk, molecular factors in the germline might additionally be at play in humans. This is supported by findings on changes to the molecular make up of germ cells and suggests an epigenetic component in transmission. Several rodent studies demonstrate the correlation between paternal stress induced changes in epigenetic modifications and offspring phenotypic alterations, yet some intriguing cases also start to show mechanistic links in between sperm and the early embryo. In this review, we summarise efforts to understand the mechanism of intergenerational transmission from sperm to the early embryo. In particular, we highlight how stress alters epigenetic modifications in sperm and discuss the potential for these modifications to propagate modified molecular trajectories in the early embryo to give rise to aberrant phenotypes in adult offspring.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Journal / series

Volume

13 (12)

Pages / Article No.

1750

Publisher

MDPI

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Epigenetic inheritance; Stress; Sperm; Early embryo; Development; Intergenerational transmission

Organisational unit

09783 - Gapp, Katharina / Gapp, Katharina check_circle
02202 - Zentrum für Neurowissenschaften / Neuroscience Center Zurich

Notes

Funding

201543 - Steroid-receptor-mediated inheritance through the male germline (SNF)
ETH-41 20-1 - Glucocorticoid signaling from spermiogenesis to the early embryo (ETHZ)

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