Maternal modulation of paternal effects on offspring development

Proc Biol Sci. 2018 Mar 14;285(1874):20180118. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0118.

Abstract

The paternal transmission of environmentally induced phenotypes across generations has been reported to occur following a number of qualitatively different exposures and appear to be driven, at least in part, by epigenetic factors that are inherited via the sperm. However, previous studies of paternal germline transmission have not addressed the role of mothers in the propagation of paternal effects to offspring. We hypothesized that paternal exposure to nutritional restriction would impact male mate quality and subsequent maternal reproductive investment with consequences for the transmission of paternal germline effects. In the current report, using embryo transfer in mice, we demonstrate that sperm factors in adult food restricted males can influence growth rate, hypothalamic gene expression and behaviour in female offspring. However, under natural mating conditions females mated with food restricted males show increased pre- and postnatal care, and phenotypic outcomes observed during embryo transfer conditions are absent or reversed. We demonstrate that these compensatory changes in maternal investment are associated with a reduced mate preference for food restricted males and elevated gene expression within the maternal hypothalamus. Therefore, paternal experience can influence offspring development via germline inheritance, but mothers can serve as a modulating factor in determining the impact of paternal influences on offspring development.

Keywords: behaviour; embryo transfer; maternal care; paternal germline transmission.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Food Deprivation*
  • Gene Expression
  • Growth and Development / genetics*
  • Male
  • Maternal Inheritance / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Paternal Inheritance / genetics*
  • Phenotype*
  • Reproduction / genetics*

Associated data

  • figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4010368