| Title |
Cold-induced epigenetic programming of the sperm enhances brown adipose tissue activity in the offspring
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Nature Medicine, July 2018
|
| DOI | 10.1038/s41591-018-0102-y |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Wenfei Sun, Hua Dong, Anton S. Becker, Dianne H. Dapito, Salvatore Modica, Gerald Grandl, Lennart Opitz, Vissarion Efthymiou, Leon G. Straub, Gitalee Sarker, Miroslav Balaz, Lucia Balazova, Aliki Perdikari, Elke Kiehlmann, Sara Bacanovic, Caroline Zellweger, Daria Peleg-Raibstein, Pawel Pelczar, Wolf Reik, Irene A. Burger, Ferdinand von Meyenn, Christian Wolfrum |
| Abstract |
Recent research has focused on environmental effects that control tissue functionality and systemic metabolism. However, whether such stimuli affect human thermogenesis and body mass index (BMI) has not been explored. Here we show retrospectively that the presence of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and the season of conception are linked to BMI in humans. In mice, we demonstrate that cold exposure (CE) of males, but not females, before mating results in improved systemic metabolism and protection from diet-induced obesity of the male offspring. Integrated analyses of the DNA methylome and RNA sequencing of the sperm from male mice revealed several clusters of co-regulated differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs), suggesting that the improved metabolic health of the offspring was due to enhanced BAT formation and increased neurogenesis. The conclusions are supported by cell-autonomous studies in the offspring that demonstrate an enhanced capacity to form mature active brown adipocytes, improved neuronal density and more norepinephrine release in BAT in response to cold stimulation. Taken together, our results indicate that in humans and in mice, seasonal or experimental CE induces an epigenetic programming of the sperm such that the offspring harbor hyperactive BAT and an improved adaptation to overnutrition and hypothermia. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 376 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 96 | 26% |
| United Kingdom | 30 | 8% |
| Spain | 20 | 5% |
| Canada | 16 | 4% |
| Australia | 7 | 2% |
| Switzerland | 6 | 2% |
| Denmark | 5 | 1% |
| Brazil | 4 | 1% |
| Mexico | 3 | <1% |
| Other | 40 | 11% |
| Unknown | 149 | 40% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 276 | 73% |
| Scientists | 63 | 17% |
| Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 32 | 9% |
| Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 5 | 1% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 223 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 223 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 41 | 18% |
| Researcher | 35 | 16% |
| Student > Master | 20 | 9% |
| Student > Bachelor | 17 | 8% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 14 | 6% |
| Other | 34 | 15% |
| Unknown | 62 | 28% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 59 | 26% |
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 35 | 16% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 16 | 7% |
| Neuroscience | 10 | 4% |
| Nursing and Health Professions | 4 | 2% |
| Other | 26 | 12% |
| Unknown | 73 | 33% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 468. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 08 January 2023.
All research outputs
#58,902
of 25,757,133 outputs
Outputs from Nature Medicine
#358
of 9,425 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#1,202
of 340,775 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Nature Medicine
#11
of 133 outputs
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