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Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on November 6, 2009
Molecular Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/molehr/gap098
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Memoirs of an insult: sperm as a possible source of transgenerational epimutations and genetic instability

P. de Boer1, L. Ramos1, M. de Vries1 and S. Gochhait2

1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radboud Univeristy Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands 2National Centre of Applied Human Genetics, School of life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi India

p.deboer{at}obgyn.umcn.nl

Male transgenerational epigenetic effects have been discovered in the discipline of mouse radiation genetics, using genetic and non-genetic readouts. The mechanism to explain the origin of the transmission of epigenetic and genetic instability is still unknown. In a search for a hypothesis that could satisfy the data, we propose that regulation of chromosome structure in the germline, by the occupancy of matrix/scaffold associated regions, contains molecular memory function. The male germline is strikingly dynamic as to chromatin organization. This could explain why experience of irradiation stress leaves a persistent mark in the male germline only. To be installed, such memory requires both S-phase and chromatin reorganization during spermatogenesis and in the zygote, that likely also involves reorganization of loop domains. By this reorganization, another layer of information is added, needed to accommodate early embryonic development. Observations point at the involvement of DNA repair as inducer of transgenerational epigenetic modulation.

Nuclear structure, chromatin composition and loop domain organization are aspects of human sperm variability, that in many cases of assisted reproduction is increased due to inclusion of more incompletely differentiated/maturated sperm nuclei. Adjustment of loop domains in early embryo development can be anticipated and zygotic and cleavage stage S-phase repair activity will have to deal with potential paternal DNA lesions. Therefore, by changing male nucleus structure due to reproduction from impaired spermatogenesis, the transgenerational information content could be changed as well. We discuss aspects of male reproductive performance in the context of this hypothesis.

Submitted on September 18, 2009; resubmitted on October 29, 2009; accepted on November 2, 2009.


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