302 Implications of the Paternal Environment for Future Generations

Abstract

Abstract The use of genetically superior males for artificial insemination has arguably been the most important tool to maximize the dissemination of desirable genes and improve the performance traits of agriculturally important species. The sire’s reproductive fitness traditionally focuses on breeding soundness, with the narrow assumption that role of the male is restricted to providing sperm to the oocyte, such that once fertilization occurs, the gestational outcome depends entirely on the dam. The sire’s role, however, extends beyond fertilization as the sperm epigenome mediates early embryo gene expression, thereby influencing subsequent embryo quality and developmental competence. Since the epigenome is sensitive to the environment, including nutrition, we used a rodent model of paternal exposures to test the hypothesis that multigenerational effects are transmitted through the paternal lineage. We also demonstrate that a possible mechanism for paternal transmission of environmental information is via the sperm epigenome. These findings should inspire animal industry to increase their consideration of the sire’s environment in the context of optimizing productivity. (This research was funded by CIHR, FRQNT and NSERC.)