Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41833931›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

tRNA-derived RNA processing in sperm transmits non-genetically inherited phenotypes to offspring in C. elegans.

Nicholas S Galambos, Olivia J Crocker, Blair K Schneider, Kennelly S Allerton, Katrin E Gross, Alexandra E Schneider, Jared Lynch, Onur Yukselen, Alper Kucukural, Colin C Conine

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Nicholas S Galambos *Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Olivia J Crocker *Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Blair K SchneiderDivision of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Kennelly S AllertonDepartments of Genetics and Pediatrics - Penn Epigenetics Institute, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and Center for Women's Health and Reproduction Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Katrin E GrossDivision of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Alexandra E SchneiderDivision of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Jared LynchDepartments of Genetics and Pediatrics - Penn Epigenetics Institute, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and Center for Women's Health and Reproduction Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4302-370X
Onur YukselenDepartment of Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Alper KucukuralDepartment of Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9983-394X
Colin C ConineDivision of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. conine@upenn.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7915-0463

Funding

University of Pennsylvania Postdoctoral Opportunities in Research and TeachingK12GM081259 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Janis K. Burkhardt · 2007 to 2026
$20.1M
Developing C. elegans as a model to understand tRNA-fragment biogenesis and functionR35GM151087 · NIGMS · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · PI Colin Conine · 2023 to 2026
$1.8M
Determining the Postfertilization Regulatory Functions of a Sperm microRNA ClusterF31HD117586 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI ALEXANDRA Emily SCHNEIDER · 2025 to 2026
$100k
NICHD NIH HHS F31 HD117586NIGMS NIH HHS K12 GM081259NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM151087U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) R35GM151087
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The environment encountered by an organism can modulate epigenetic information in gametes to transmit non-genetically inherited phenotypes to offspring. In mouse models, the diet of males regulates specific tRNA-derived RNAs (tDRs) in sperm. After fertilization, tDRs regulate embryonic gene expression and generate metabolic phenotypes in adult offspring through uncharacterized changes during development. Here we demonstrate that in C. elegans, tDRs also accumulate in sperm and similarly transmit epigenetically inherited phenotypes to offspring. We identify the RNaseT2 enzyme, rnst-2, as a regulator of C. elegans tDR accumulation. RNST-2 processes or degrades tRNA-halves, to short <30 nt fragments. This rnst-2 dependent regulation of tDR length distribution modulates specific tDRs in sperm which, after fertilization, regulate early embryonic and developmental gene expression, leading to adaptive phenotypes in progeny. Our findings establish tDRs as a conserved carrier of intergenerational epigenetic information and position the worm as a model for dissecting paternal non-genetic inheritance mechanistically.

Indexed as

Caenorhabditis elegansRNA Processing, Post-TranscriptionalRNA, TransferSpermatozoaAnimalsCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsEpigenesis, GeneticEpigenetic MemoryMalePhenotypeCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsRNA, Transfer

Identifiers

PMID41833931
PMCPMC13136342

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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.