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Advanced paternal age impacts common loci in the sperm and placenta DNA methylomes

ABSTRACT: Background: Epidemiological studies have reported an association between advanced paternal age at conception and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, such as autism spectrum disorder. Evidence suggests that DNA methylation alterations in sperm of older men may be transmitted to the feto-placental unit and associated with offspring brain development and behavioral differences later in childhood. Objective: We aimed to assess the association of advanced paternal age with DNA methylation alterations in the human placenta and compare the results to previous findings in sperm. Methods: For this study, 64 placenta samples from the 3D (Design, Develop, Discover) prospective birth cohort study were categorized based on paternal age at conception. DNA methylation of the placenta was interrogated using the Illumina 850K array. There were no differentially methylated sites found to be statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons, therefore sites with significant nominal p-values <0.05 were assessed and used to define differentially methylated regions (DMRs) associated with genes. Results: Advanced paternal age was associated with DNA methylation alterations in the placenta at up to 688 genes, with a predominance of hypomethylation (65%), including at 8 imprinted loci. About 7% of genes with age-associated DNA methylation changes in placenta overlapped with genes previously reported to show altered DNA methylation in sperm of older men; seven genes common to placenta and sperm had previously been identified in association with susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder. Amongst loci most affected, we found evidence of sex-specific hypermethylation at genes linked to neurodevelopment (GRM7, EBF3, FOXG1). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that advanced paternal age at conception is associated with altered DNA methylation in the human placenta, including at genes tied to neurodevelopment. This study highlights the use of the placenta DNA methylome as a surrogate marker for the potential impact of advanced paternal age on the child.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE273723 | GEO | 2025/12/11

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Advanced paternal age at fertilization has been suggested to be a risk factor for neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and other disorders in offspring. One emerging hypothesis suggests that altered offspring phenotype is linked with age-related accumulation of epigenetic changes in the sperm of fathers. Given that paternal age is increasing in the developed world, understanding aging-related epigenetic changes in sperm is needed as well as environmental factors that modify such changes. In this study, we characterize age-dependent changes in sperm DNA methylation profiles between young pubertal (postnatal day (PNDs) 65) and mature (PND120) Wistar rats. We also analyze these changes in rats exposed perinatally to 0.2 mg/kg of ubiquitous environmental xenobiotic 2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47). Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) libraries were prepared from caudal epididymal sperm DNA and differentially methylated regions (DMRs; ≥ 10x coverage depth, ≥ 3 CpGs per cluster, ≥ 5% methylation change, q < 0.05) were identified via MethPipe package. We identified 21 and 9 exposure-related DMRs in sperm collected on PND65 and PND120, respectively. Two DMRs overlapped between the two time-points. This is the first study to demonstrate that environmentally-relevant perinatal exposure to PBDE results in long-lasting changes in sperm DNA methylation. In control animals, 5,319 age-dependent DMRs were identified, with 99.3% DMRs hypermethylated in mature animals compared to young pubertal rats. These age-related DMRs were enriched for functional categories essential for embryonic development, such as pattern specification, forebrain and sensory organ development, and the Wnt pathway. In BDE-47 exposed rats, sperm DNA methylation was higher in young pubertal and lower in mature animals when compared to controls, which resulted in a significant attenuation in the number of age-dependent DMRs (N = 189) identified in the exposed group. In conclusion, our results indicate that the natural aging process has profound effects on sperm methylation levels and this effect may be modified by environmental exposures. Moreover, our results further support the role of sperm DNA methylation as a likely mechanism by which advanced paternal age is associated with adverse offspring health and development.

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Advanced paternal age impacts common loci in the sperm and placenta DNA methylomes

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