{"id":76379,"date":"2025-09-30T08:46:51","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T06:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?p=76379"},"modified":"2025-09-30T08:46:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T06:46:56","slug":"fathers-shape-embryonic-development-through-molecular-signatures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-shape-embryonic-development-through-molecular-signatures\/","title":{"rendered":"Fathers shape embryonic development through molecular \u2018signatures\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<article class=\"vf-card vf-card--brand vf-card--bordered vf-u-margin__bottom--800\" default>\n  <div class=\"vf-card__content | vf-stack vf-stack--400\">\n      <h3 class=\"vf-card__heading\">\n      Summary    <\/h3>\n                <p class=\"vf-card__text\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A collaborative team led by Ana Boskovic and Jamie Hackett at EMBL Rome explored how different paternal preconception environments influence embryonic development. Their findings revealed that:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An imbalanced paternal gut microbiome or altered diet disrupts the expression of key genes involved in extra-embryonic tissue development or growth.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetic background modulates these effects, indicating that a complex interaction between genetics and environmental influences underlies inheritance.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paternal age impacts offspring development at the earliest stages of embryogenesis.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Over the past few decades, growing evidence has challenged the belief that inheritance is governed solely by DNA sequences. Scientists now recognise the crucial role of epigenetic inheritance \u2013 the transmission of biological traits via chemical modifications to DNA and its associated proteins. These modifications do not alter the genetic code itself but influence how genes are switched on or off, often in response to environmental factors such as stress, diet, or drug exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While the concept of maternal epigenetic inheritance is relatively intuitive \u2013 given the direct biological connection between mother and embryo during gestation \u2013 recent research shows that fathers, too, can transmit environmentally induced epigenetic changes to their offspring. However, the prevalence of epigenetic inheritance \u2013 and the mechanisms behind it \u2013 remains unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At EMBL Rome, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-100\/can-the-effects-of-the-environment-cross-generations\/\">a dedicated strand of research focuses on epigenetic inheritance<\/a>, drawing on expertise in designing environmental exposure models, and supported by a specialised <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/gene-editing-and-virus-facility\/\">research infrastructure for genomic editing<\/a>.&nbsp; In particular, the Boskovic and Hackett groups are exploring how paternal environmental perturbations can trigger epigenetic changes that ultimately affect the health of the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a recent study, the Hackett group demonstrated that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-gut-microbes-affect-the-next-generation\/\">disrupting the gut microbiome of male mice increases disease risk in their future offspring<\/a>. On the other hand, the Boskovic group has focused on mechanisms that regulate embryonic development in response to changes in paternal diet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A collaborative study between the two groups, now published in <em>EMBO Journal,<\/em> examined how specific paternal environments affect early embryonic development in a systematic manner and under tightly controlled genetic and environmental conditions in mice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To induce environmental perturbations, prospective fathers were exposed to either non-absorbable antibiotics (disrupting the gut microbiota) or to a low-protein, high-sugar diet. To minimise experimental variability, the analyses were performed on embryos resulting from <em>in vitro<\/em> fertilisation (IVF). Embryos were collected approximately four days after fertilisation (blastocyst stage) and individually analysed to measure differences in gene expression compared to controls (blastocysts that resulted from fathers without any treatment).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The results were striking. Both environmental perturbations led to significant changes in embryonic gene expression. Disruption of the paternal gut microbiota reduced the expression of key genes involved in extra-embryonic tissue development, while changes in the diet were linked with a modest developmental delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To further investigate the influence of the genetic background, scientists repeated the experiments using a different mouse strain. The outcome differed, suggesting the importance of the genetic component in shaping how environmental exposures affect offspring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, embryos derived from older fathers showed a stronger effect on gene expression, especially on genes involved in immune-related processes, indicating that paternal age is another important factor involved in epigenetic inheritance.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have demonstrated that large-scale experiments are essential to untangle how specific environmental factors contribute to epigenetic inheritance across different genetic backgrounds,\u201d said Ana Boskovic. \u201cOur tightly controlled experimental design can serve as a template for future intergenerational studies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur study represents a step toward understanding the mechanism of epigenetic inheritance, particularly through the paternal line,\u201d said Jamie Hackett. \u201cWe plan to apply additional tools to investigate early changes in offspring in response to paternal environments, with the hope of paving the way for new strategies in disease prevention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This project was carried out in the framework of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/human-ecosystems\/\">Human Ecosystems Transversal Theme<\/a> \u2013&nbsp; a research area defined by the current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/programme\/\">EMBL Scientific Programme<\/a> \u2013 which seeks to understand the impact of the environment on human disease risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"vf-divider\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Italian\"><strong>I padri influenzano lo sviluppo embrionale attraverso &#8220;firme&#8221; molecolari<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p><br \/><strong><em>Un nuovo studio condotto dagli scienziati dell\u2019EMBL di Roma rivela che l\u2019ambiente paterno prima del concepimento pu\u00f2 lasciare impronte molecolari sottili \u2013 ma rilevabili \u2013 negli embrioni, in grado di influenzare lo sviluppo e la salute a lungo termine della prole.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-card vf-card--brand vf-card--bordered vf-u-margin__bottom--800\" default>\n  <div class=\"vf-card__content | vf-stack vf-stack--400\">\n      <h3 class=\"vf-card__heading\">\n      Sintesi    <\/h3>\n                <p class=\"vf-card__text\">Un team collaborativo guidato da Ana Boskovic e Jamie Hackett presso l\u2019EMBL di Roma ha esplorato come l\u2019esposizione dei padri a diversi ambienti nel periodo precedente al concepimento influenzino lo sviluppo embrionale. I loro risultati hanno rivelato che:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Un microbioma intestinale paterno squilibrato o una dieta alterata compromettono l\u2019espressione di geni chiave coinvolti nello sviluppo o nella crescita dei tessuti extra-embrionali.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Il background genetico modula questi effetti, indicando che l\u2019ereditariet\u00e0 \u00e8 il risultato di un\u2019interazione complessa tra genetica e influenze ambientali.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>L\u2019et\u00e0 paterna influisce sullo sviluppo della prole gi\u00e0 nelle primissime fasi dell\u2019embriogenesi.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/p>\n      <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Negli ultimi decenni, prove sempre pi\u00f9 numerose hanno messo in discussione la convinzione che l\u2019ereditariet\u00e0 sia governata unicamente dalle sequenze di DNA. Oggi, gli scienziati riconoscono il ruolo cruciale dell\u2019<strong>ereditariet\u00e0 epigenetica<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 la trasmissione di tratti biologici attraverso modificazioni chimiche del DNA e delle proteine ad esso associate. Queste modificazioni non alterano il codice genetico in s\u00e9, ma influenzano il modo in cui i geni vengono attivati o disattivati, spesso in risposta a fattori ambientali come lo stress, la dieta o l\u2019esposizione a farmaci.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sbbene il concetto di ereditariet\u00e0 epigenetica materna sia relativamente intuitivo \u2013 data la connessione biologica diretta tra madre ed embrione durante la gestazione \u2013 ricerche recenti dimostrano che anche i padri possono trasmettere modificazioni epigenetiche indotte dall\u2019ambiente alla loro prole. Tuttavia, la diffusione di questo fenomeno \u2013 e i meccanismi che lo regolano \u2013 restano ancora poco chiari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All\u2019EMBL di Roma, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-100\/can-the-effects-of-the-environment-cross-generations\/\">una linea di ricerca dedicata si concentra proprio sull\u2019ereditariet\u00e0 epigenetica<\/a>, avvalendosi di competenze nella progettazione di modelli di esposizione ambientale e di <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/gene-editing-and-virus-facility\/\">un\u2019infrastruttura di ricerca specializzata in tecniche di modificazione genetica<\/a> nei topi. In particolare, l\u2019attivit\u00e0 di ricerca dei gruppi di Ana Boskovic e Jamie Hackett \u00e8 mirata a comprendere come perturbazioni ambientali paterne possano innescare cambiamenti epigenetici capaci di influenzare la salute della generazione successiva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In uno studio recente, il gruppo di Hackett ha dimostrato che <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-gut-microbes-affect-the-next-generation\/#a1\">la perturbazione del microbioma intestinale nei topi maschi aumenta il rischio di malattie nella loro futura prole<\/a>. Il gruppo di Boskovic, invece, si \u00e8 concentrato sui meccanismi che regolano lo sviluppo embrionale in risposta a variazioni della dieta paterna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uno studio collaborativo tra i due gruppi, ora pubblicato su&nbsp;<strong>EMBO Journal<\/strong>, ha esaminato in modo sistematico come ambienti paterni specifici influenzino lo sviluppo embrionale precoce nei topi, sotto condizioni genetiche e ambientali strettamente controllate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Per indurre perturbazioni ambientali, i futuri padri sono stati trattati con antibiotici non assorbibili (per alterare il microbiota intestinale) oppure sottoposti ad una dieta povera di proteine e ricca di zuccheri. Per ridurre la variabilit\u00e0 sperimentale, le analisi sono state condotte su embrioni ottenuti tramite&nbsp;<strong>fecondazione in vitro (FIV)<\/strong>. Gli embrioni sono stati prelevati circa quattro giorni dopo la fecondazione (allo stadio di blastocisti) e analizzati individualmente per misurare le differenze nell\u2019espressione genica rispetto ai controlli (blastocisti provenienti da padri non trattati).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I risultati sono stati sorprendenti. Entrambe le perturbazioni ambientali hanno causato cambiamenti significativi nell\u2019espressione genetica embrionale. L\u2019alterazione del microbiota intestinale paterno ha ridotto l\u2019espressione di geni chiave coinvolti nello sviluppo dei tessuti extra-embrionali, mentre i cambiamenti nella dieta sono stati associati a un lieve ritardo nello sviluppo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Per approfondire l\u2019influenza del background genetico, gli scienziati hanno ripetuto gli esperimenti utilizzando una diversa linea di topi. I risultati sono cambiati, suggerendo l\u2019importanza della componente genetica nel modulare gli effetti delle esposizioni ambientali sulla prole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inoltre, gli embrioni derivati da padri pi\u00f9 anziani hanno mostrato un effetto maggiore sull\u2019espressione genica, in particolare su geni coinvolti nei processi immunitari, indicando che anche l\u2019et\u00e0 paterna \u00e8 un fattore importante nell\u2019ereditariet\u00e0 epigenetica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAbbiamo dimostrato che esperimenti su larga scala sono essenziali per comprendere come fattori ambientali specifici contribuiscano all\u2019ereditariet\u00e0 epigenetica in diversi contesti genetici,\u201d ha affermato Ana Boskovic. \u201cIl nostro design sperimentale rigoroso potr\u00e0 servire da modello per futuri studi intergenerazionali.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIl nostro studio rappresenta un passo avanti nella comprensione dei meccanismi dell\u2019ereditariet\u00e0 epigenetica, in particolare lungo la linea di trasmissione paterna,\u201d ha aggiunto Jamie Hackett. \u201cAbbiamo in programma di applicare strumenti aggiuntivi per indagare i cambiamenti precoci nella prole in risposta agli ambienti paterni, con la speranza di aprire la strada a nuove strategie di prevenzione delle malattie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Questo progetto \u00e8 stato condotto nell\u2019ambito del&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/human-ecosystems\/\">Tema Trasversale Human Ecosystems&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong>\u2013 un\u2019area di ricerca definita dall\u2019attuale <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/programme\/\">Programma Scientifico dell\u2019EMBL<\/a> \u2013 che mira a comprendere l\u2019impatto dell\u2019ambiente sul rischio di malattie umane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new collaborative study from EMBL Rome scientists reveals a father\u2019s preconception environment can leave subtle, but detectable, molecular footprints in embryos, able to shape development and long-term offspring health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":76385,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17591],"tags":[17659,14295,600,563,17251,19591,183,19589,498,5778,19587,233,514],"embl_taxonomy":[19181,9788,5144,19277,17361],"class_list":["post-76379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-technology","tag-antibiotics","tag-boskovic","tag-diet","tag-embryonic-development","tag-epigenetic","tag-father","tag-gene-expression","tag-genetic","tag-hackett","tag-human-ecosystems","tag-inheritance","tag-microbiome","tag-rome","embl_taxonomy-boskovic-group","embl_taxonomy-embl-rome","embl_taxonomy-epigenetics-and-neurobiology","embl_taxonomy-hackett-group","embl_taxonomy-human-ecosystems"],"acf":{"vfwp-news_embl_taxonomy":[19181,19277,17361,9788,5144],"featured":true,"show_featured_image":false,"field_target_display":"embl","field_article_language":{"value":"english","label":"English"},"article_intro":"<p>A novel study from EMBL Rome scientists reveals that a father\u2019s preconception environment can leave subtle \u2013 but detectable \u2013 molecular footprints in embryos, able to shape development and long-term health of offspring.<\/p>\n","related_links":[{"link_description":"Can the effects of the environment cross generations? ","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-100\/can-the-effects-of-the-environment-cross-generations\/"},{"link_description":"Father\u2019s gut microbes affect the next generation","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-gut-microbes-affect-the-next-generation\/"},{"link_description":"The Gene Editing & Virus Facility","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/gene-editing-and-virus-facility\/"},{"link_description":"The Human Ecosystems Transversal Theme","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/human-ecosystems\/"},{"link_description":"EMBL Programme 2022\u201326: Molecules to Ecosystems","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/programme\/"},{"link_description":"Hackett Group","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/hackett\/"},{"link_description":"Boskovic Group","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/groups\/boskovic\/"}],"source_article":[{"publication_title":"Embryonic signatures of intergenerational epigenetic inheritance across paternal environments and genetic backgrounds","publication_link":{"title":"","url":"https:\/\/www.embopress.org\/doi\/full\/10.1038\/s44318-025-00556-4","target":""},"publication_authors":"Dura M., Ranjan B., et al.","publication_source":"EMBO Journal","publication_date":"26 September 2025","publication_doi":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s44318-025-00556-4"}],"in_this_article":false,"press_contact":"None","article_translations":[{"translation_language":"Italiano","translation_anchor":"#Italian"}],"languages":""},"embl_taxonomy_terms":[{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"a6e35bb0-c32d-4c9b-aadb-a19b6c7b060f\";i:2;s:36:\"bd072977-52d6-4eeb-9f5e-8d8b3a4bfcc2\";}","parents":[],"name":["Boskovic Group"],"slug":"boskovic-group","description":"What &gt; Epigenetics and neurobiology &gt; Boskovic Group"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"b14d3f13-5670-44fb-8970-e54dfd9c921a\";i:1;s:36:\"89e00fee-87f4-482e-a801-4c3548bb6a58\";i:2;s:36:\"741d5d3d-f92f-4eb8-9195-55c96454a36b\";}","parents":[],"name":["EMBL Rome"],"slug":"embl-rome","description":"Where &gt; All EMBL sites &gt; EMBL Rome"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"7ca3ce91-dc32-47ea-8d4b-7a53c3a3a9fd\";i:2;s:36:\"a6e35bb0-c32d-4c9b-aadb-a19b6c7b060f\";}","parents":[],"name":["Epigenetics and neurobiology"],"slug":"epigenetics-and-neurobiology","description":"What &gt; Research Units &gt; Epigenetics and neurobiology"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"a6e35bb0-c32d-4c9b-aadb-a19b6c7b060f\";i:2;s:36:\"184ad143-e7b9-4fe0-ad8a-d0680aa47b3b\";}","parents":[],"name":["Hackett Group"],"slug":"hackett-group","description":"What &gt; Epigenetics and neurobiology &gt; Hackett Group"},{"uuid":"a:3:{i:0;s:36:\"302cfdf7-365b-462a-be65-82c7b783ebf7\";i:1;s:36:\"e6ac6e6e-6386-48ff-9a0b-618e391d09bb\";i:2;s:36:\"6a318cd0-1e46-4083-8c69-62b95e85660a\";}","parents":[],"name":["Human Ecosystems"],"slug":"human-ecosystems","description":"What &gt; Research &gt; Human Ecosystems"}],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Fathers shape embryonic development through molecular \u2018signatures\u2019 | EMBL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A new study from EMBL Rome scientists reveals a father\u2019s preconception environment can shape embryonic development and long-term offspring health.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-shape-embryonic-development-through-molecular-signatures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fathers shape embryonic development through molecular \u2018signatures\u2019 | EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A new study from EMBL Rome scientists reveals a father\u2019s preconception environment can shape embryonic development and long-term offspring health.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-shape-embryonic-development-through-molecular-signatures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embl.org\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-30T06:46:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-30T06:46:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1000x600-visual.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rossana De Lorenzi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@embl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@embl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rossana De Lorenzi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-shape-embryonic-development-through-molecular-signatures\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-shape-embryonic-development-through-molecular-signatures\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rossana De Lorenzi\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/09fbcca4054ca2db027d0e970b2f1296\"},\"headline\":\"Fathers shape embryonic development through molecular \u2018signatures\u2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-30T06:46:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-30T06:46:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-shape-embryonic-development-through-molecular-signatures\/\"},\"wordCount\":1269,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science-technology\/fathers-shape-embryonic-development-through-molecular-signatures\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1000x600-visual.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"antibiotics\",\"boskovic\",\"diet\",\"embryonic development\",\"epigenetic\",\"father\",\"gene expression\",\"genetic\",\"hackett\",\"human ecosystems\",\"inheritance\",\"microbiome\",\"rome\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Science &amp; 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