RNA-dependent intergenerational inheritance of enhanced synaptic plasticity after environmental enrichment

Eva Benito; Cemil Kerimoglu; Binu Ramachandran; Tonatiuh Pena‐Centeno; Gaurav Jain; Roman Manuel Stilling; Rezaul Islam; Vincenzo Capece; Qihui Zhou; Dieter Edbauer; Camin Dean; André Fischer

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.059

NeuroscienceCell ReportsJan 1, 2018

Peer-reviewed journal article

RNA-dependent intergenerational inheritance of enhanced synaptic plasticity after environmental enrichment

Eva Benito iD, Cemil Kerimoglu iD, Binu Ramachandran, Tonatiuh Pena‐Centeno, Gaurav Jain iD, Roman Manuel Stilling iD, Rezaul Islam iD, Vincenzo Capece iD, Qihui Zhou iD, Dieter Edbauer iD, Camin Dean iD, André Fischer iD

Abstract

Physical exercise in combination with cognitive training is known to enhance synaptic plasticity and lower the risk for various complex diseases including Alzheimers disease. Here we show that exposure of adult male mice to an environmental enrichment paradigm leads to long-lasting enhancement of synaptic plasticity that is also passed on to the next generation. We show that the effect is mediated through sperm RNA and is explained by microRNAs 212/132. In conclusion, our study reports intergenerational inheritance of an acquired cognitive benefit and points to specific microRNAs as candidates mechanistically involved in this type of transmission.

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