The healthier a father’s diet, the lower the risk for their children to develop obesity or diseases like diabetes. A recent study by a research group at Helmholtz Munich provides new insights into how fathers’ diets and weight can affect their children’s health even before conception.
Dr. Raffaele Teperino, head of the “Environmental Epigenetics” research group at Helmholtz Munich, and his team have examined the impact of paternal diet on children’s health, focusing on diet before conception. The researchers found that special small RNA molecules in sperm, known as mitochondrial tRNA fragments (mt-tsRNAs), play a key role in the inheritance of health traits by regulating gene expression.
STUDY INSIGHTS FROM THE LIFE CHILD COHORT
The researchers used data from the LIFE Child cohort, which includes information from over 3,000 families. Analyses showed that a father’s body weight influences their children’s weight and susceptibility to metabolic diseases. This influence is independent of other factors like the mother’s weight, parental genetics, or environmental conditions.
THE FATHER’S DIET INFLUENCES THE CHILDREN
To verify their analysis, the research team conducted experiments with mice. These mice were fed a high-fat diet, which affected their reproductive organs, including the epididymis, where freshly formed sperm mature. “Our study shows that sperm exposed to a high-fat diet in the mouse epididymis led to offspring with an increased tendency to metabolic diseases,” says Raffaele Teperino.
LABORATORY STUDIES AND IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION
To deepen their findings, the team conducted additional lab studies. They created embryos through in-vitro fertilization. When they used sperm from mice that had been on a high-fat diet, they found mt-tsRNAs in early embryos. This significantly influenced gene expression, affecting the development and health of the offspring.
Epigenetics: The Link Between Environment and Genome
“Our hypothesis that acquired phenotypes like diabetes and obesity are transmitted epigenetically across generations is reinforced by this study,” explains Prof. Martin Hrabě de Angelis, co-author and Research Director at Helmholtz Munich. “Epigenetics serves as a molecular link between the environment and the genome, even across generational boundaries. This occurs not only through the maternal line but also through the paternal line,” he adds.
PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE FOR MEN WISHING TO BECOME FATHERS
The findings underscore the role of paternal health before conception and suggest new approaches to preventive health care. “Our results suggest that preventive health care for men wishing to become fathers should receive more attention,” says Teperino. “Programs should be developed for this purpose, especially regarding diet, to reduce the risk of diseases like obesity and diabetes in children.”
BACKGROUND: THE INDIRECT INFLUENCE OF FATHERS
Mitochondria, often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell, have their own DNA, independent of the cell nucleus DNA. This mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) produces proteins in the mitochondria via mt-RNA and is typically inherited from mothers. However, recent studies show that sperm carry mt-RNA fragments into the egg during fertilization. These mt-tsRNAs play a role in epigenetics, regulating gene expression in the early embryo. They can influence the development and health of the offspring by modifying the activity of certain genes in the mitochondria. Thus, fathers have an important, indirect influence on the genetic imprinting of mitochondria and thereby on their children’s energy metabolism.