ABOVE: The placenta’s labyrinth zone (red), responsible for nutrient exchange between mother and fetus, is reduced in fetuses with dysbiotic fathers (lower panel) compared to healthy fathers (upper panel). Ayele Argaw-Denboba.
The microbiome has a profound impact on host health that extends to the host’s young ones. Studies in mice have shown that maternal gut bacteria play a role in offspring behavior and placental growth during pregnancy.1,2 Yet, the effects of the paternal microbiome on the health of their progeny remained relatively unexplored.
In a new study, scientists found that altering the gut microbiome of male mice negatively affected the health and lifespan of their offspring through epigenetic changes in the sperm.3 The results, published in Nature, offer insights into a gut-germline axis that mediates the effects of the microbiome on health and disease across generations.
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