Abstract
In this review, we focus on “sperm aging” in order to understand the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, which have been on the rise in recent years. Sperm cells not only supply half of the genome as the origin of life, but can also transmit additional information by introducing epigenetic changes (“epi‐mutations”) such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNAs. In fact, using mice as a model, we have elucidated the molecular mechanisms by which sperm DNA hypomethylation, which occurs as the father ages, affects the brain development of the offspring in the next generation. Understanding how epi‐mutations in sperm cause diseases and disorders in the next generation will contribute to the development of new treatments and prevention methods for neurodevelopmental disorders.
