Transgenerational inheritance of hepatic steatosis in mice: sperm methylome is largely reprogrammed and inherited but does not globally influence liver transcriptome.

ABSTRACT: Nutritional challenges and obesity can contribute to the transmission of metabolic diseases through epigenetic mechanisms. Among them, DNA methylation stands out as a potential carrier of information because germline cytosine methylation responds to environmental factors and can be transmitted across generations. Yet, it remains unclear whether inherited DNA methylation plays an active role in the inheritance of metabolic phenotypes or solely influences expression of a few genes that cannot recapitulate the whole metabolic spectrum in the next generation offspring. Previously, we established a mouse model of childhood obesity by reducing litter size at birth. Mice raised in small litters (SL) developed obesity, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis. The offspring (SL-F1) and grand-offs

SUBMITTER: Ribo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11879089 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature