Sperm DNA Methylation: Not a Vehicle for Dietary Reprogramming of Offspring?

Emma Whitelaw

doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2015.12.005

Sperm DNA Methylation: Not a Vehicle for Dietary Reprogramming of Offspring?

Dev Cell. 2015 Dec 21;35(6):668-9. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.12.005.

Author

Emma Whitelaw¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne 3086 VIC, Australia. Electronic address: e.whitelaw@latrobe.edu.au.

PMID: 26702825
DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.12.005

Abstract

Reporting in Developmental Cell, Shea et al. (2015) show, using an inbred mouse strain, that "epivariation"-stochastic individual differences in DNA methylation-is a much greater contributor to the sperm methylome than is diet. They conclude that DNA methylation is not the mechanism underlying the dietary reprogramming of offspring phenotype.

Publication types

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MeSH terms

Animals
DNA, Ribosomal / genetics*
Epigenesis, Genetic / genetics*
Genetic Variation*
Genome / genetics*
Male
Spermatozoa / metabolism*

Substances

DNA, Ribosomal