The paternal diet regulates the offspring epigenome and health

Abstract Increasing evidence has demonstrated that paternal exposure to environmental and dietary factors can affect the metabolic phenotypes of offspring, causing increased disease risks. Moreover, phenotypes acquired by paternal parents due to environmental exposure can be “memorized” in the sperm and inherited by subsequent generations. However, the exact molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear. DNA modifications, histone modifications, and small non-coding RNAs and their modifications are considered candidates for the transmission of epigenetic information based on data from various animal models. Remarkably, small non-coding RNAs in sperm can serve as paternal epigenetic information carriers, mediating intergenerational inheritance. This chapter aims to summarize the current knowledge of the influence of paternal diet on the health of subsequent generations and discusses the molecular mechanisms underlying the transmission of acquired traits from father to offspring.