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Published on: June 27, 2012
Paternal Methionine Supplementation Alters DNA Methylation Patterns in Preimplantation Sheep Embryos
Jessica Townsend Graybeal1, Zeynep Kizilaslan2, Mehmet Kizilaslan2
1The Department of Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education, California State University, Fresno, CA 93740, USA.
Epigenomes
|July 24, 2026
Summary
Paternal methionine supplementation alters embryonic DNA methylation in sheep. This epigenetic change impacts early embryonic development and fetal programming, highlighting the father's dietary influence.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics and Developmental Biology
- Animal Reproduction and Genomics
Background:
- Parental environmental factors influence offspring development via epigenetics.
- Maternal diet's effect on offspring epigenetics is known, but paternal diet's impact is less understood.
- Paternal diet's role in embryonic DNA methylation requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the effect of paternal methionine supplementation on DNA methylation in sheep preimplantation embryos.
- Determine if paternal diet influences embryonic epigenetics and early development.
Main Methods:
- Paternal methionine supplementation in Polypay sheep rams.
- Estrus synchronization and superovulation in ewes.
- Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) of collected embryos.
Main Results:
- Identified 842 differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) in embryos from supplemented sires.
- Majority of DMCs were hypermethylated and located in intergenic regions.
- Knockdown of the gene SSU72, affected by DMCs, reduced blastocyst formation rate by 18%.
Conclusions:
- Paternal methionine supplementation alters embryonic DNA methylation patterns in sheep.
- Affected genes play critical roles in early embryonic development.
- Paternal diet contributes to fetal programming through epigenetic mechanisms.
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