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Paternal experience impacts cognitive function in offspring: a pre-existing concept

Molecular Psychiatry volume 23, pages 794–795 (2018)Cite this article

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The field of epigenetics has gained major importance over the past decade and led to the emergence of new conceptual thinking in biology and medicine. One of the most fascinating of these new ideas is the concept of germline epigenetic inheritance, which suggests that environmental factors can induce epigenetic alterations in germ cells, which can influence offspring.1, 2 Recent scientific breakthroughs have provided causal evidence for germline epigenetic inheritance in mammals.1, 3 Over the last couple of years, the field has exponentially grown, and evidence to suggest that a wide range of environmental factors can induce heritable changes is rapidly accumulating. Although still very novel, new studies need to consider this prior knowledge if the field is to move forward efficiently.

A recently published study by Ryan et al.4 shows that paternal consumption of a diet rich in methyl donors impairs cognitive function and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus of the offspring but not grand-offspring. The authors show changes in DNA methylation at a single gene coding for a potassium channel subunit (Kcnmb2) in the offspring, viral overexpression of which can restore cognitive function. Previous work, reviewed below, has shown that various environmental factors experienced by fathers (for example, stress, diet and infections) can influence the offspring’s cognitive development. The results reported by Ryan et al. could contribute to these findings in two ways: first, environmental experiences might affect the offspring via altering the micronutrient milieu of the father, possibly of its sperm cells. Second, dietary manipulations, for example, reducing the amount of methyl donors, might be a promising route for counteracting detrimental environmental impacts. Unfortunately, the authors fail to credit most of the prior work in this field. Properly referencing the relevant studies would broaden its impact and provide the necessary context within the pre-existing field of epigenetic inheritance.

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Author notes

  1. J Bohacek

    Present address: 3Current address: Laboratory of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology of ETH Zurich, Neuroscience Center Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Faculty of the University of Zurich and Department of Health Science and Technology of the ETH Zürich, Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Research Institute, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland

    J Bohacek & I M Mansuy

  2. Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, Zurich, Switzerland

    U Weber-Stadlbauer

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  1. J Bohacek
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Correspondence to J Bohacek.

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Bohacek, J., Weber-Stadlbauer, U. & Mansuy, I. Paternal experience impacts cognitive function in offspring: a pre-existing concept. Mol Psychiatry 23, 794–795 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2017.162

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