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

Abstract

Physical exercise in combination with cognitive training is known to enhance synaptic plasticity, learning & memory and lower the risk for various complex diseases including Alzheimer disease. Here we show that exposure of adult male mice to an environmental enrichment paradigm leads to enhancement of synaptic plasticity and cognition also in 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.