Copy Number Determination of Sperm-Borne Small RNAs Implied in the Intergenerational Inheritance of Metabolic Syndromes.

• DOI: 10.1261/rna.080480.125
• Publication Date: 2025-05-28T16:40:11Z
• Authors: Lisa Koenig; Victoria Guggenbe...; Kristeli Eleftheriou; Zsuzsanna Pinter; Alessandro Marotto; Christoph R. Kreutz; Mark Wossidlo; Virginie Marchand; Yuri Motorin; Matthias R. Schaefer
• Keywords: Small nucleolar RNA; Piwi-interacting RNA; Argonaute

Mammalian spermatocytes harbour small RNAs that are mostly degradation products of abundant non-coding RNAs, including ribosomal RNA-derived (rsRNAs) and tRNA-derived (tDRs). Notably, tDRs have been implicated in inheriting paternally acquired traits rodents. Direct experimental proof for this notion comes from manipulating fertilized murine oocytes through microinjection RNA preparations, resulting metabolic changes measurable the offspring. How these transmitted could function mechanistically developing zygote remains to be understood. Since nothing is known about how many required functional impact, we aimed determine copy numbers specific contained a single spermatocyte. Using hybridization-based methods avoid amplification-induced biases, estimated average rsRNAs per While measured allow an approximation rRNA- enter oocyte during fertilization, magnitude underscores need remaining cautious when interpreting effects non-physiological were used manipulate biological system.