Epigenetic programming of human sperm

The WGBS data was published in PMID: 31393794 and the sequencing data from WGBS and MCC-Seq have been submitted to the European Genome-phenome Archive under the accession number EGAS00001003617. The paternal environment including stress, diet and toxicants has been linked to infertility and negative outcomes for offspring such as birth defects and adult onset of disease. Such effects may be transmitted via sperm through epigenetic mechanisms. To date, in depth profiling of the sperm epigenome in men has been limited. Our objective was to characterize the sperm profile of histone H3 lysine 4 tri-methylation (H3K4me3) from a reference population of men and relate this to sperm DNA methylation. ChIP-seq targeting H3K4me3 was performed on sperm from a representative reference population of 30 men and then overlapped with whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data from the same men. Our analysis revealed that H3K4me3 is localized throughout the genome and at genes for fertility and development. Remarkably, enrichment was also found at regions that escape epigenetic reprogramming in primordial germ cells, embryonic enhancers and SINEs. The level of H3K4me3 in sperm associates with the degree of gene expression in embryo development. We find significant overlap in H3K4me3 and DNA methylation throughout the genome suggesting potential for the development of a personalized medicine approach for the assessment of fertility, lifestyle and environmental exposures. Overall design: Examination of H3K4me3 distribution in the sperm of a reference population of Canadian men. Examination of H3K4me3 distribution (ChIP-seq) and DNA methylation (MCC-seq) in the sperm of Canadian men.