Review outlines epigenetic factors affecting male fertility and their influence on offspring in cattle, suggesting implications for breeding.
Extensive DNA methylation and small non-coding RNA modifications occur during male germline differentiation, which are essential for normal spermatogenesis and sperm maturation. Recent evidence has underscored the role of these key regulators in male fertility. However, due to significant environmental and technical variations across the studies, the identification of epigenetic biomarkers relevant to fertility remains challenging. Nevertheless, recent studies using large cohorts and integrative approaches have highlighted sperm epigenetic signatures that improve fertility prediction. In addition, sperm-borne epigenetic marks have been proposed to influence early embryo development and offspring phenotype, supporting the concept of non-genetic inheritance across generations. In breeding sectors and particularly in cattle, while artificial insemination enables the dissemination of paternal genetics at the populational level, some of the broadly used reproductive biotechnologies may impact the sperm epigenetic profile. Therefore, deciphering sperm epigenetic mechanisms has become an important research topic for enhancing breeding efficiency. This review provides an overview of current knowledge on the bovine epigenetic dynamics in male germ cells, their association with fertility and their potential role in embryo development and offspring phenotype, with a focus on DNA methylation and small non-coding RNAs.
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BOURASSI et al. (2026) studied this question.
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