Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38573852›Full record

ArticleCell reports2024

The microbiota and T cells non-genetically modulate inherited phenotypes transgenerationally.

Jordan C Harris, Natalie A Trigg, Bruktawit Goshu, Yuichi Yokoyama, Lenka Dohnalová, Ellen K White, Adele Harman, Sofía M Murga-Garrido, Jamie Ting-Chun Pan, Preeti Bhanap and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Run for your sons: paternal exercise boosts offspring fitness.Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM · 2025
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Skin microbiome and dermatologic disorders.The Journal of clinical investigation · 2025
    Review
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Jordan C HarrisDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Natalie A TriggDivision of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Departments of Genetics and Pediatrics - Penn Epigenetics Institute, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Bruktawit GoshuDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Yuichi YokoyamaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Lenka DohnalováDepartment of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Ellen K WhiteDepartment of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Adele HarmanTransgenic Core, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Sofía M Murga-GarridoDepartment of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Jamie Ting-Chun PanDepartment of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Preeti BhanapDepartment of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Christoph A ThaissDepartment of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Elizabeth A GriceDepartment of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: egrice@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
Colin C ConineDivision of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Departments of Genetics and Pediatrics - Penn Epigenetics Institute, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: conine@chop.edu.
Taku KambayashiDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: taku.kambayashi@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Funding

HEMATOLOGY CLINICAL RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAMT32HL007439 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI LAWRENCE F BRASS, PETER S KLEIN · 1985 to 2026
$17.1M
Penn Dermatology Research Training ProgramT32AR007465 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Elizabeth Anne Grice, David Joel Margolis · 1986 to 2026
$9.0M
Study Design and Data AnalysisP30AR069589 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Elizabeth Anne Grice · 2016 to 2026
$8.6M
Decoding the microbial burden in diabetic foot ulcersR01NR015639 · NINR · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI GRICE, ELIZABETH ANNE · 2015 to 2023
$4.1M
The role of the T cell receptor in regulatory T cell homeostasis and expansionR01HL111501 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI KAMBAYASHI, TAKU · 2012 to 2020
$3.6M
Skin microbiome regulation of the sebum-immune axisR01AR082256 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Elizabeth Anne Grice, Taku Kambayashi · 2023 to 2026
$2.6M
A conserved function of amyloid proteins in host-microbiome interactionsDP2AG067492 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI THAISS, CHRISTOPH ALEXANDER · 2019 to 2019
$2.4M
Defining non-genetic mechanisms that prevent death in a Hirschsprung disease mouse modelR01DK129691 · NIDDK · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · PI HEUCKEROTH, ROBERT O · 2021 to 2024
$2.3M
The trigger and homeostatic function of a novel immune-sebum circuitF31AR079845 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI HARRIS, JORDAN · 2022 to 2023
$41k
NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL111501NHLBI NIH HHS T32 HL007439NIAMS NIH HHS F31 AR079845NIAMS NIH HHS P30 AR069589NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR082256NIAMS NIH HHS T32 AR007465NIA NIH HHS DP2 AG067492NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK129691NINR NIH HHS R01 NR015639
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The host-microbiota relationship has evolved to shape mammalian physiology, including immunity, metabolism, and development. Germ-free models are widely used to study microbial effects on host processes such as immunity. Here, we find that both germ-free and T cell-deficient mice exhibit a robust sebum secretion defect persisting across multiple generations despite microbial colonization and T cell repletion. These phenotypes are inherited by progeny conceived during in vitro fertilization using germ-free sperm and eggs, demonstrating that non-genetic information in the gametes is required for microbial-dependent phenotypic transmission. Accordingly, gene expression in early embryos derived from gametes from germ-free or T cell-deficient mice is strikingly and similarly altered. Our findings demonstrate that microbial- and immune-dependent regulation of non-genetic information in the gametes can transmit inherited phenotypes transgenerationally in mice. This mechanism could rapidly generate phenotypic diversity to enhance host adaptation to environmental perturbations.

Indexed as

MicrobiotaPhenotypeT-LymphocytesAnimalsFemaleMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLCP: ImmunologyCP: Microbiologydevelopmentepigeneticsgerm-freemicrobiomesebaceous glandsskinT cellstransgenerational inheritance

Identifiers

PMID38573852
PMCPMC11102039

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.