Paternal dietary macronutrient balance and energy intake drive metabolic and behavioral differences among offspring

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  • Angela Jane Crean
  • Alistair Mc Nair Senior
  • Therese Freire
  • Thomas Daniel Clark
  • Flora Mackay
  • Gracie Austin
  • Tamara Jayne Pulpitel
  • Marcelo Aguiar Nobrega
  • Barrès, Romain
  • Stephen James Simpson

Paternal diet can influence the phenotype of the next generation, yet, the dietary components inducing specific responses in the offspring are not identified. Here, we use the Nutritional Geometry Framework to determine the effects of pre-conception paternal dietary macronutrient balance on offspring metabolic and behavioral traits in mice. Ten isocaloric diets varying in the relative proportion of protein, fats, and carbohydrates are fed to male mice prior to mating. Dams and offspring are fed standard chow and never exposed to treatment diets. Body fat in female offspring is positively associated with the paternal consumption of fat, while in male offspring, an anxiety-like phenotype is associated to paternal diets low in protein and high in carbohydrates. Our study uncovers that the nature and the magnitude of paternal effects are driven by interactions between macronutrient balance and energy intake and are not solely the result of over- or undernutrition.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2982
JournalNature Communications
Volume15
Number of pages11
ISSN2041-1723
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

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© The Author(s) 2024.

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