In addition to "mutational errors involved in spermatogenisis that occur with increasing frequency as men age", dysregulation of imprinting processes

on autosomal and X chromosomes are probably involved in the increase in rates of schizophrenia and autism found in the offspring of older men. The older the age of the father, the more neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring at a population level.

From the paper cited below: "The causal mechanism underlying the well-established relation between advancing paternal age and schizophrenia is hypothesized to involve mutational errors during spermatogenesis that occur with increasing frequency as males age. Point mutations are well known to increase with advancing paternal age while other errors such as altered copy number in repeat DNA and chromosome breakage have in some cases also been associated with advancing paternal age."

Drs. Malaspina, Perrin and Brown state that some cases of COPY NUMBER VARIATION OR ALTERED COPY NUMBER IN REPEAT DNA INCREASE WITH PATERNAL AGE IN CONTRAST TO THOSE GENETICIST WHO SAY THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT CNVs INCREASE WITH INCREASING PATERNAL AGE.




Aberrant Epigenetic Regulation Could Explain the Relationship of Paternal Age to Schizophrenia
Mary C. Perrin2, Alan S. Brown3,4 and Dolores Malaspina1,2 2 Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY3 New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY4 Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: 212-263-6214, fax: 212-263-5717, e-mail: Dolores.Malaspina@NYUMC.ORG
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"Imprinting errors could increase the risk of schizophrenia through multiple pathways including direct effects on the expression of genes involved in neuropsychiatric pathology or indirectly through imprinting errors in genes related to the normal functioning of the placenta. "


THE MALE BIOLOGICAL CLOCK ADVANCING PATERNAL AGE = NEW GENETIC DISORDERS AND DISEASES IN OFFSPRING!




Cynthia R. Daniel from Rutgers also pointed out the sperm DNA and imprinting errors that are due to increasing paternal age according to a great deal of public research. Her concerns were not included in the following press release:



Sperm Damage From Toxins Can Affect Children, Grandchildren
ScienceDaily (Feb. 21, 2008) — The consequence of maternal exposure to a variety of potentially toxic agents during pregnancy remains the prime focus of concern in scientific endeavors and in society at large.



However, there is now mounting evidence that paternal exposure can also adversely affect fetal and postnatal development of offspring and that this imprint can be expressed in subsequent generations.

Scientists are addressing the evidence for male-mediated influences on reproductive success and postnatal development and its implications at a symposium.*

"This symposium will present evidence from both animal and epidemiological studies which demonstrates that paternal exposure to a variety of potential toxins can adversely impact fetal development, produce a wide spectrum of deficits in offspring and be expressed in subsequent generations," said Gladys Friedler, PhD, an emerita associate professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine and organizer of the session.

"The goal of this symposium is to heighten awareness of the significant effect of the male parent in reproductive success and postnatal development as well as to stimulate research on male-mediated effects," added Friedler.

Friedler, who is considered a pioneer in the field, will introduce the symposium with a review of studies which indicate that male exposure to a variety of potential toxins including both recreational and therapeutic drugs, as well as workplace and other exposures can adversely alter reproductive outcome.

The reported impact on offspring outcome includes low birth weight; increase in childhood cancers; developmental, behavioral, endocrine abnormalities and cross-generational effects.

*The multidisciplinary symposium, sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science is entitled The Father and Fetus Revisited. Also participating in this symposium are Matthew D. Anway from the University of Idaho, Moscow, who will present his studies: "Epigenetic Transgenerational Reproductive Disease." Political scientist Cynthia R. Daniels, from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, will discuss "Cultural Politics and the Father-Fetal Connection."