How Fathers Can Permanently Alter Their Child's Genes

Fatherhood will never be the same. Researchers are showing mind-bending, almost bizarre ways that fathers (and mothers in most cases) can alter their children's genes. Fathers have much, much more influence on their child's genetic material than simply donating half the DNA at conception.  In fact, that is just the beginning.

Yes, DNA is important.  However, it turns out that one's DNA, including that of your child, is controlled by the associated epigenomes, i.e. key molecules that are attached to the DNA.  For example, if methyl groups are attached to the DNA, then the genes are turned off so that it cannot produce proteins, etc.  Histones, or "coils" as they are called, do the opposite.

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Histones and methylation do not alter the DNA, which is critical of course, but they do alter their functionality.  It does you little good to have good genes that are turned off.  Here are several recent examples:

1.  Care at Childbirth.  Scientists have discovered in animal studies that how a rat is cared for at childbirth profoundly affects his or her epigenetics. For example, rats that are neglected for have their stress genes capped by methyl groups.  This means that the hippocampus of these infant rats are much less sensitive to stress hormones. And the real point is this:  this is a permanent change.  These rats are forever altered simply by their post-natal care or lack thereof. [1] Of course, the point is that, even though it is foreign for many of us guys, a little affection goes a long ways when it comes to the little guys. Your actions can literally alter their genes.

2. Prenatal Low Protein Diet. Researchers recently discovered that (in rats at least) how the father eats can actually alter his child's epigenome. They found that if fathers ate an unhealthily low protein diet, the child's cholesterol synthesis was permanently altered. The reason?  The epigenome was modified. [2] Human epidemiological studies indicate that this leads children in these circumstances to an elevated risk of diabetes and heart disease. 

3. Prenatal High Fat Diet.  Researchers have also discovered direct evidence, again in an animal study, that if a father eats a high fat diet, the offspring got much fatter and had diabetes. [3]  Researchers have long observed the same pattern in humans.

NOTE:  It's not just you by the way:  for examples showing how Mom's pregnancy lifestyle can alter her child's genome, see this link on The Importance of the Prenatal Lifestyle.

You are what you eat? Maybe so. But it looks like you are just as much what your father eats as well...

REFERENCES:

1) Discover, June 2010, p.27.

2) http://www.umassmed.edu/news/articles/2010/what_you_eat.aspx

3) http://www.wbur.org/npr/130703719/lifestyle-factors-may-alter-genetic-traits-study-finds