Epidemiological studies have reported that the aging of fathers is associated with the development of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and learning disabilities may interfere with social life due to mismatches in the environment and relationships with surrounding people, but the detailed onset mechanism is still unclear. There are still many unclear points.
The research group in the field of developmental and developmental neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University has now systematically analyzed epigenome changes in spermatogenic processes in mouse testicles and is a major epigenome marker that controls gene function (7 types of methyl). It is said that it has cataloged the changes with age of methylation and one type of acetylation).When the amounts of these epigenome markers were compared between young male mice aged 1 months and aged male mice aged 3 months or older, some epigenome markers, such as histone protein methylation modifications, were added during spermatogenesis. It was found that it changed significantly with age.
Prior to this study, the research group revealed that the amount of H3K79me3 in sperm among epigenome markers is highly correlated with abnormal voice communication in pups.Thus, epigenome markers may have significance as "predictive markers" for the behavior of next-generation individuals.
The new findings in mice that aging of the father affects the epigenome of spermatogenic processes suggests that aging of the father may affect the next-generation neural development in humans as well. It can be said that it sounds a warning bell.Based on this finding, if the understanding of the onset mechanism of neurodevelopmental disorders in children at risk of father's aging progresses, it will lead to the development of diagnostic methods for predicting such diseases in the future. There is expected.
