Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness

The gut microbiota operates at the interface of host–environment interactions to influence human homoeostasis and metabolic networks1,2,3,4. Environmental factors that unbalance gut microbial ecosystems can therefore shape physiological and disease-associated responses across somatic tissues5,6,7,8,...

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Main Authors: Argaw-Denboba, A, Schmidt, TSB, Di Giacomo, M, Ranjan, B, Devendran, S, Mastrorilli, E, Lloyd, CT, Pugliese, D, Paribeni, V, Dabin, J, Pisaniello, A, Espinola, S, Crevenna, A, Ghosh, S, Humphreys, N, Boruc, O, Sarkies, P, Zimmermann, M, Bork, P, Hackett, JA
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2024
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author Argaw-Denboba, A
Schmidt, TSB
Di Giacomo, M
Ranjan, B
Devendran, S
Mastrorilli, E
Lloyd, CT
Pugliese, D
Paribeni, V
Dabin, J
Pisaniello, A
Espinola, S
Crevenna, A
Ghosh, S
Humphreys, N
Boruc, O
Sarkies, P
Zimmermann, M
Bork, P
Hackett, JA
author_facet Argaw-Denboba, A
Schmidt, TSB
Di Giacomo, M
Ranjan, B
Devendran, S
Mastrorilli, E
Lloyd, CT
Pugliese, D
Paribeni, V
Dabin, J
Pisaniello, A
Espinola, S
Crevenna, A
Ghosh, S
Humphreys, N
Boruc, O
Sarkies, P
Zimmermann, M
Bork, P
Hackett, JA
author_sort Argaw-Denboba, A
collection OXFORD
description The gut microbiota operates at the interface of host–environment interactions to influence human homoeostasis and metabolic networks1,2,3,4. Environmental factors that unbalance gut microbial ecosystems can therefore shape physiological and disease-associated responses across somatic tissues5,6,7,8,9. However, the systemic impact of the gut microbiome on the germline—and consequently on the F1 offspring it gives rise to—is unexplored10. Here we show that the gut microbiota act as a key interface between paternal preconception environment and intergenerational health in mice. Perturbations to the gut microbiota of prospective fathers increase the probability of their offspring presenting with low birth weight, severe growth restriction and premature mortality. Transmission of disease risk occurs via the germline and is provoked by pervasive gut microbiome perturbations, including non-absorbable antibiotics or osmotic laxatives, but is rescued by restoring the paternal microbiota before conception. This effect is linked with a dynamic response to induced dysbiosis in the male reproductive system, including impaired leptin signalling, altered testicular metabolite profiles and remapped small RNA payloads in sperm. As a result, dysbiotic fathers trigger an elevated risk of in utero placental insufficiency, revealing a placental origin of mammalian intergenerational effects. Our study defines a regulatory ‘gut–germline axis’ in males, which is sensitive to environmental exposures and programmes offspring fitness through impacting placenta function.
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spelling oxford-uuid:068039d9-37cf-4d00-9149-1d4df1acdcd22024-08-21T15:36:06ZPaternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitnessJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:068039d9-37cf-4d00-9149-1d4df1acdcd2EnglishSymplectic ElementsSpringer Nature2024Argaw-Denboba, ASchmidt, TSBDi Giacomo, MRanjan, BDevendran, SMastrorilli, ELloyd, CTPugliese, DParibeni, VDabin, JPisaniello, AEspinola, SCrevenna, AGhosh, SHumphreys, NBoruc, OSarkies, PZimmermann, MBork, PHackett, JAThe gut microbiota operates at the interface of host–environment interactions to influence human homoeostasis and metabolic networks1,2,3,4. Environmental factors that unbalance gut microbial ecosystems can therefore shape physiological and disease-associated responses across somatic tissues5,6,7,8,9. However, the systemic impact of the gut microbiome on the germline—and consequently on the F1 offspring it gives rise to—is unexplored10. Here we show that the gut microbiota act as a key interface between paternal preconception environment and intergenerational health in mice. Perturbations to the gut microbiota of prospective fathers increase the probability of their offspring presenting with low birth weight, severe growth restriction and premature mortality. Transmission of disease risk occurs via the germline and is provoked by pervasive gut microbiome perturbations, including non-absorbable antibiotics or osmotic laxatives, but is rescued by restoring the paternal microbiota before conception. This effect is linked with a dynamic response to induced dysbiosis in the male reproductive system, including impaired leptin signalling, altered testicular metabolite profiles and remapped small RNA payloads in sperm. As a result, dysbiotic fathers trigger an elevated risk of in utero placental insufficiency, revealing a placental origin of mammalian intergenerational effects. Our study defines a regulatory ‘gut–germline axis’ in males, which is sensitive to environmental exposures and programmes offspring fitness through impacting placenta function.
spellingShingle Argaw-Denboba, A
Schmidt, TSB
Di Giacomo, M
Ranjan, B
Devendran, S
Mastrorilli, E
Lloyd, CT
Pugliese, D
Paribeni, V
Dabin, J
Pisaniello, A
Espinola, S
Crevenna, A
Ghosh, S
Humphreys, N
Boruc, O
Sarkies, P
Zimmermann, M
Bork, P
Hackett, JA
Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness
title Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness
title_full Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness
title_fullStr Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness
title_full_unstemmed Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness
title_short Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness
title_sort paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness
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