Bull fertility may be defined as the process by which spermatozoa fertilize and activate the ovum and then support embryonic development. Bull fertility is a complex trait having relatively low heritability and plays a vital role for efficient production and reproduction of bovine. Various mechanisms involved in regulating bull fertility associated phenotype and reliable biomarkers are poorly d...

The integrity of the sperm genome and epigenome are critical for normal embryonic development. The advent of assisted reproductive technology has led to an increased understanding of the role of sperm in fertilization and embryogenesis. During fertilization, the sperm transmits not only nuclear DNA to the oocyte but also activation factor, centrosomes, and a host of messenger RNA and microRNAs....

Epidemiological studies suggest that a father's diet can influence offspring health. A proposed mechanism for paternal transmission of environmental information is via the sperm epigenome. The epigenome includes heritable information such as DNA methylation. We hypothesize that the dietary supply of methyl donors will alter epigenetic reprogramming in sperm. Here we feed male mice either a fola...

Sperm is a highly differentiated cell type whose function is to deliver a haploid genome to the oocyte. The sperm "epigenomes" were traditionally considered to be insignificant - the sperm is transcriptionally inactive, its genome is packaged in sperm-specific protamine toroids instead of nucleosomes, and its DNA methylation profile is erased immediately post-fertilization. Yet, in recent years...

Children of older fathers carry an increased risk for developing autism and other disorders. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we investigated the correlation of sperm DNA methylation with paternal age and its impact on the epigenome of the offspring. Methylation levels of nine candidate genes and LINE-1 repeats were quantified by bisulfite pyrosequencing in sperm DNA of 162 donors and 19...

Environmental toxicants have been shown to induce the epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of adult onset disease, including testis disease and male infertility. The current study was designed to determine the impact of an altered sperm epigenome on the subsequent development of an adult somatic cell (Sertoli cell) that influences the onset of a specific disease (male infertility). A gestat...

Obesity is a heritable disorder, with children of obese fathers at higher risk of developing obesity. Environmental factors epigenetically influence somatic tissues, but the contribution of these factors to the establishment of epigenetic patterns in human gametes is unknown. Here, we hypothesized that weight loss remodels the epigenetic signature of spermatozoa in human obesity. Comprehensive ...

OBJECTIVES Chronic and high consumption of fat constitutes an environmental stress that leads to metabolic diseases. We hypothesized that high-fat diet (HFD) transgenerationally remodels the epigenome of spermatozoa and metabolism of the offspring. METHODS F0-male rats fed either HFD or chow diet for 12 weeks were mated with chow-fed dams to generate F1 and F2 offspring. Motile spermatozoa we...

Abstract The use of genetically superior males for artificial insemination has arguably been the most important tool to maximize dissemination desirable genes and improve performance traits agriculturally species. sire’s reproductive fitness traditionally focuses on breeding soundness, with narrow assumption that role male is restricted providing sperm oocyte, such once fertilization occurs, ge...