Cited by 346Sexual Differentiation and DisordersBirth, Development, and HealthEpigenetics and DNA Methylation

Early Prenatal Stress Epigenetically Programs Dysmasculinization in Second-Generation Offspring via the Paternal Lineage

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Morgan, Christopher P., Bale, Tracy L.·2011·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Studies have linked sex-biased neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and schizophrenia, with fetal antecedents such as prenatal stress. Further, these outcomes can persist into subsequent generations, raising the possibility that aspects of heritability in these diseases involve epigenetic mechanisms. Utilizing a mouse model in which we previously identified a period in early gestation when stress results in dysmasculinized and stress-sensitive male offspring, we have examined programming effects in second-generation offspring of prenatally stressed (F2-S) or control (F2-C) sires. Examination of gene expression patterns during the perinatal sensitive period, when organizational gonadal hormones establish the sexually dimorphic brain, confirmed dysmasculinization in F2-S males, where genes important in neurodevelopment showed a female-like pattern. Analyses of the epigenomic miRNA environment detected significant reductions in miR-322, miR-574, and miR-873 in the F2-S male brain, levels that were again more similar to those of control females. Increased expression of a common gene target for these three miRNAs, β-glycan, was confirmed in these males. These developmental effects were associated with the transmission of a stress-sensitive phenotype and shortened anogenital distance in adult F2-S males. As confirmation that the miRNA environment is responsive to organizational testosterone, neonatal males administered the aromatase inhibitor formestane exhibited dramatic changes in brain miRNA patterns, suggesting that miRNAs may serve a previously unappreciated role in organizing the sexually dimorphic brain. Overall, these data support the existence of a sensitive period of early gestation when epigenetic programming of the male germline can occur, permitting transmission of specific phenotypes into subsequent generations.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.1887-11.2011

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  • In animal models of prenatal stress, exposure to chronic stress in utero increased male, but not female, HPA stress reactivity.

    “exposure to chronic stress in utero increased male, but not female, HPA stress reactivity (e.g., behavioral response to the tail suspension test) 159,162”

    From Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms (2018) · cites this paper as [162]

    The Results (Analysis of adult F2 behavior and physiology; page not supplied) report increased tail-suspension immobility in males, but not females, after paternal prenatal stress exposure. They report no significant effect on HPA-axis corticosterone responses in either sex. The claim conflates the behavioral result with increased HPA reactivity and does not distinguish the F2 offspring from the directly exposed F1 generation. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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Authors
Morgan, C. P., & Bale, T. L.
Affiliations
University of Pennsylvania (US)
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2011-08-17
Volume
31
Issue
33
Pages
11748-11755
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2070187535
Cited by
346
References
57
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 56 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 25
FWCI
15.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01mh091258-05)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH087597, MH 091258, R01 MH-091258, R01MH087597)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
Keywords
prenatal stress, epigenetic programming, transgenerational transmission, microRNA, male germline, anogenital distance, aromatase inhibition, formestane, testosterone, autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, neurodevelopmental disorders
MeSH terms
Age Factors, Animals, Female, Foxes, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Random Allocation, Sex Characteristics, Stress, Psychological, Paternal Exposure, MicroRNAs, Mice, Mice, 129 Strain, Epigenomics

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