We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Reproductive tract extracellular vesicles are sufficient to transmit intergenerational stress and program neurodevelopment.
- Authors
Chan, Jennifer C.; Morgan, Christopher P.; Adrian Leu, N.; Shetty, Amol; Cisse, Yasmine M.; Nugent, Bridget M.; Morrison, Kathleen E.; Jašarević, Eldin; Huang, Weiliang; Kanyuch, Nickole; Rodgers, Ali B.; Bhanu, Natarajan V.; Berger, Dara S.; Garcia, Benjamin A.; Ament, Seth; Kane, Maureen; Neill Epperson, C.; Bale, Tracy L.
- Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a unique mode of intercellular communication capable of incredible specificity in transmitting signals involved in cellular function, including germ cell maturation. Spermatogenesis occurs in the testes, behind a protective barrier to ensure safeguarding of germline DNA from environmental insults. Following DNA compaction, further sperm maturation occurs in the epididymis. Here, we report reproductive tract EVs transmit information regarding stress in the paternal environment to sperm, potentially altering fetal development. Using intracytoplasmic sperm injection, we found that sperm incubated with EVs collected from stress-treated epididymal epithelial cells produced offspring with altered neurodevelopment and adult stress reactivity. Proteomic and transcriptomic assessment of these EVs showed dramatic changes in protein and miRNA content long after stress treatment had ended, supporting a lasting programmatic change in response to chronic stress. Thus, EVs as a normal process in sperm maturation, can also perform roles in intergenerational transmission of paternal environmental experience. Evidence for sperm small noncoding RNA-mediated intergenerational transmission implies communication from responsive somatic cells to sperm. Here, authors show that epididymal cells alter extracellular vesicle cargo after stress exposure, to impact offspring neurodevelopment and stress reactivity.
- Subjects
EXTRACELLULAR vesicles; GENITALIA; NEURAL development; FEMALE reproductive organs; DNA condensation; INTRACYTOPLASMIC sperm injection; SPERMATOGENESIS; LINEAR network coding
- Publication
Nature Communications, 2020, Vol 11, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2041-1723
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s41467-020-15305-w