The intergenerational impacts of paternal diet on DNA methylation and offspring phenotypes in sheep

Knowledge of non-genomic inheritance of traits is currently limited. Although it is well-established that maternal diet influences offspring inheritance of traits through DNA methylation, studies on the impact of pre-pubertal paternal diet on DNA methylation are rare. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pre-pubertal diet in Polypay rams on complex traits, DNA methylation, and transmission of traits to offspring. A total of ten littermate pairs of F0 rams were divided so that one ram was fed a control diet and the other was fed the control diet with added methionine. Diet was associated with earlier age at puberty in treatment vs. control F0 rams. F0 treatment rams had a tendency to show decreased pubertal weight compared to control rams, however no differences were detected in overall growth. A total of ten F0 rams were bred and the entire F1 generation was fed a control diet. Diet of F0 rams had a significant association with scrotal circumference and weight at puberty of F1 offspring. The paternal diet was not significantly associated with F1 ram growth or age at puberty. The DNA methylation of F0 ram sperm was assessed, and genes related to both sexual development and body weight were prevalent in the data. These results provide novel information about the mechanisms through which the pre-pubertal paternal diet may alter body weight at puberty and sexual development