Parental olfactory experience influences behavior and neural structure in subsequent generations.

TitleParental olfactory experience influences behavior and neural structure in subsequent generations.
Publication TypeJournal Article
AuthorsDias, Brian G., and Kerry J. Ressler
PubMed ID24292232
PubMed Central IDPMC3923835
Grant ListP51 OD011132 / OD / NIH HHS / United States
P51RR00-0165 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States
/ / Howard Hughes Medical Institute / United States
/ / Howard Hughes Medical Institute / United States

Using olfactory molecular specificity, we examined the inheritance of parental traumatic exposure, a phenomenon that has been frequently observed, but not understood. We subjected F0 mice to odor fear conditioning before conception and found that subsequently conceived F1 and F2 generations had an increased behavioral sensitivity to the F0-conditioned odor, but not to other odors. When an odor (acetophenone) that activates a known odorant receptor (Olfr151) was used to condition F0 mice, the behavioral sensitivity of the F1 and F2 generations to acetophenone was complemented by an enhanced neuroanatomical representation of the Olfr151 pathway. Bisulfite sequencing of sperm DNA from conditioned F0 males and F1 naive offspring revealed CpG hypomethylation in the Olfr151 gene. In addition, in vitro fertilization, F2 inheritance and cross-fostering revealed that these transgenerational effects are inherited via parental gametes. Our findings provide a framework for addressing how environmental information may be inherited transgenerationally at behavioral, neuroanatomical and epigenetic levels.

Title Parental olfactory experience influences behavior and neural structure in subsequent generations.
Publication Title Nat Neurosci
Publication Type Journal Article
Published Year 2014
Authors B.G. Dias; K.J. Ressler
ISSN Number 1546-1726
PubMed ID 24292232
PubMed Central ID PMC3923835
Grant List
P51 OD011132 OD NIH HHS United States
P51RR00-0165 RR NCRR NIH HHS United States

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