articleScienceDec 31, 2015GREEN OA

Biogenesis and function of tRNA fragments during sperm maturation and fertilization in mammals

USUpasna SharmaCCColin C. ConineJMJeremy M. SheaABAna BoškovićADAlan Derr

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School · Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec · +1 more institution

PubMed
Indexed incrossrefpubmed

Abstract

Several recent studies link parental environments to phenotypes in subsequent generations. In this work, we investigate the mechanism by which paternal diet affects offspring metabolism. Protein restriction in mice affects small RNA (sRNA) levels in mature sperm, with decreased let-7 levels and increased amounts of 5' fragments of glycine transfer RNAs (tRNAs). In testicular sperm, tRNA fragments are scarce but increase in abundance as sperm mature in the epididymis. Epididymosomes (vesicles that fuse with sperm during epididymal transit) carry RNA payloads matching those of mature sperm and can deliver RNAs to immature sperm in vitro. Functionally, tRNA-glycine-GCC fragments repress genes associated with the…

Citation impact

1,315
total citations
FWCI
50.74
Percentile
100%
References
36
Citations per year

Authors

20

Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Biology
  • Offspring
  • Sperm
  • Biogenesis
  • Epigenetics
  • Phenotype
  • Transfer RNA
  • Genetics
No related works found for this paper.

Funding