Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance and environmental enrichment in male mice: investigation of hippocampus-dependent behaviors in the offspring and the involvement of epididymosomes

• Grant number: 17/11987-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): November 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Rosana Camarini
• Grantee: Lucas Barbosa Hoffmann
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

It has been recently shown that the environmental conditions to which the sire is exposed may affect its offspring's phenotype, the so called Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance (TEI). Despite its mechanisms are unknown, changes in the miRNA expression profile may be an explanation for the phenomenon since miRNA expression changes promoted by the environment are capable of altering the cell's transcriptome. miRNAs are transported from cell to cell by exosomes and after exosome uptake by the target cell they are capable of modifying its epigenome. Exosomes are also present in the sperm, the epididymosomes, and may be involved in the TEI as they transfer miRNAs to the spermatozoid. Positive environmental changes, such as the Environmental Enrichment (EE), promote improvements in memory recognition and spatial localisation, which can be attributed to higher expression of BDNF in the hippocampus. The BDNF expression, in its turn, may be controlled by miRNAs. Therefore, since EE promotes behavioural changes that may be inherited by the offspring through epididymosomes, this project proposes to investigate whether the offspring of Environmental Enriched sire mice might also show memory and spatial localisation improvements (through the Novel Object Recognition Test and Barnes Maze, respectively) and whether these effects may be associated to miR-132 expression changes in the epididymosomes of F0 and the hippocampus of both F0 and F1. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CAMARINI, ROSANA; HOFFMANN, LUCAS BARBOSA; SUAREZ, ANDREA; RAE, MARIANA; MARCOURAKIS, TANIA; PAUTASSI, RICARDO MARCOS. Cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization is greater in adolescent than in adult mice and heightens cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in adolescents. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, v. 181, p. 60-68, JUN 2019. (17/11987-1, 12/10260-7)

HOFFMANN, LUCAS B.; RAE, MARIANA; MARIANNO, PRISCILA; PANG, TERENCE Y.; HANNAN, ANTHONY J.; CAMARINI, ROSANA. Preconceptual paternal environmental stimulation alters behavioural phenotypes and adaptive responses intergenerationally in Swiss mice. Physiology & Behavior, v. 223, SEP 1 2020. (18/05038-0, 17/11987-1, 15/02397-0)

CARRARA-NASCIMENTO, PRISCILA FERNANDES; HOFFMANN, LUCAS BARBOSA; FLORIO, JORGE CAMILO; PLANETA, CLEOPATRA SILVA; CAMARINI, ROSANA. Effects of Ethanol Exposure During Adolescence or Adulthood on Locomotor Sensitization and Dopamine Levels in the Reward System. FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE, v. 14, MAR 6 2020. (12/17228-1, 15/02397-0, 12/10260-7, 17/11987-1, 18/05038-0)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

HOFFMANN, Lucas Barbosa. Avaliação dos efeitos da exposição ambiental paterna no fenótipo da prole de camundongos Swiss.. 2018. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI) São Paulo.