Genome-wide sperm DNA methylation alterations in individuals exposed to radar electromagnetic radiation

Growing evidence has shown that long-term radar radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure impairs human sperm quality, however, little is known about whether this type of radiation also affects sperm DNA methylation. To this end, we used the 850K Methylation BeadChip to characterize genome-wide sperm DNA methylation patterns in individuals with ≥ 3 years occupational RF-EMF exposure (Exposed group, n = 5) and in individuals work in the office without radiation (NC group, n = 5). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enrichment analyses were applied to identify the biological processes and functional pathways involved. Our analysis revealed 441 differentially methylated positions (DMPs), including 381 hypermethylated and 60 hypomethylated CpG sites. GO and KEGG annotation showed that these genes were involved in multiple biological functions and pathways, including cAMP, Wnt, FoxO, and AMPK signaling pathways. These results indicated that several signaling pathways may be concurrently changed in the sperm of RF-EMF-exposed individuals, which, together with the decreased sperm quality, could ultimately influence the reproductive and offspring health of exposed fathers.