<p>Given that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the COVID-19 pandemic, constitutes a major environmental challenge faced by billions of people worldwide, we investigated whether paternal pre-conceptual SARS-CoV-2 infection has impacts on sperm RNA content, and intergenerational (F1) and transgenerational (F2) effects on offspring phenotypes. Using an established mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (P21) preclinical model, we infected adult male mice with the virus, or performed a mock control infection, and bred them with naïve female mice four weeks later, when males were no longer infectious. Here we show that offspring of infected sires display increased anxiety-like behaviors. Additionally, the F1 offspring have significant transcriptomic changes in their hippocampus. Various sperm small noncoding RNAs, including PIWI-interacting RNAs, transfer-derived RNAs and microRNAs, are differentially altered by prior paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Microinjection of RNA from the sperm of SARS-CoV-2 infected males into fertilized oocytes leads to a phenotype resembling that of the naturally born F1 offspring, supporting the interpretation that sperm RNAs are contributing to the outcomes of our paternal SARS-CoV-2 model. Therefore, this study provides evidence that paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts sperm and affects offspring phenotypes. These findings have public-health implications and inform further research in males affected by COVID-19, and their offspring.</p>

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Paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts sperm small noncoding RNAs and increases anxiety in offspring in a sex-dependent manner

  • Elizabeth A. Kleeman,
  • Carolina Gubert,
  • Sonali N. Reisinger,
  • Kathryn C. Davidson,
  • Da Lu,
  • Merle Dayton,
  • Liana Mackiewicz,
  • Bethany A. Masson,
  • Pranav Adithya,
  • Alexandra L. Garnham,
  • Gemma Stathatos,
  • Moira K. O’Bryan,
  • Rikeish R. Muralitharan,
  • Francine Z. Marques,
  • Shanshan Li,
  • Huan Liao,
  • Shae McLaughlin,
  • Emmet T. Keough,
  • Michelle Y. Wheeler,
  • Pamudika Kiridena,
  • Marcel Doerflinger,
  • Marc Pellegrini,
  • Anthony J. Hannan

摘要

Given that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the COVID-19 pandemic, constitutes a major environmental challenge faced by billions of people worldwide, we investigated whether paternal pre-conceptual SARS-CoV-2 infection has impacts on sperm RNA content, and intergenerational (F1) and transgenerational (F2) effects on offspring phenotypes. Using an established mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (P21) preclinical model, we infected adult male mice with the virus, or performed a mock control infection, and bred them with naïve female mice four weeks later, when males were no longer infectious. Here we show that offspring of infected sires display increased anxiety-like behaviors. Additionally, the F1 offspring have significant transcriptomic changes in their hippocampus. Various sperm small noncoding RNAs, including PIWI-interacting RNAs, transfer-derived RNAs and microRNAs, are differentially altered by prior paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Microinjection of RNA from the sperm of SARS-CoV-2 infected males into fertilized oocytes leads to a phenotype resembling that of the naturally born F1 offspring, supporting the interpretation that sperm RNAs are contributing to the outcomes of our paternal SARS-CoV-2 model. Therefore, this study provides evidence that paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts sperm and affects offspring phenotypes. These findings have public-health implications and inform further research in males affected by COVID-19, and their offspring.