101
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Hou L, Wang X, Yang P, Li B, Lin Z, Kang L, Wang X. DNA methyltransferase 3 participates in behavioral phase change in the migratory locust. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 121:103374. [PMID: 32283278 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2020.103374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation plays important roles in the behavioral plasticity of animals. The migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, displays striking density-dependent phenotypic plasticity that can reversely transit between solitarious and gregarious phases. However, the role and the mechanism through which DNA methylation is involved in locust phase change remain unknown. Here, we investigated the expression levels of three DNA methyltransferase genes and their roles in the regulation of locust phase changes. All three Dnmt genes, namely, Dnmt1, Dnmt2 and Dnmt3 showed high expression levels in the brains of gregarious locusts. By contrast, only Dnmt3 transcript rapidly responded to population density changes, decreasing during the isolation of gregarious locusts and steadily increasing upon the crowding of solitarious locusts. Dnmt3 knockdown significantly reduced the phase-related locomotor activity, rather than the attraction index, in gregarious and crowded solitarious locusts. Transcriptome analysis showed that Dnmt3 knockdown upregulated the genes related to metabolism and transporting activity and downregulated those associated with oxidative stress response. The expression level of the phase-core transcriptional factor, hormone receptor HR3, was significantly suppressed in the brain after Dnmt3 knockdown. Moreover, there was significant overlap in the differentially expressed genes between Dnmt3 RNAi and HR3 RNAi data sets, suggesting HR3 may act as key transcriptional factor mediating Dnmt3-controlled gene expression profiles in locust brains. These findings suggest that Dnmt3 transcription is involved in locust behavioral transition, implying the possible roles of DNA methylation in phase-related phenotypic plasticity in locusts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xuesong Wang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Pengcheng Yang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Science, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Beibei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhe Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Le Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Science, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Xianhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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102
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Morovic W, Budinoff CR. Epigenetics: A New Frontier in Probiotic Research. Trends Microbiol 2020; 29:117-126. [PMID: 32409146 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Research into the benefits of probiotics has progressed beyond interventional studies to identifying the underlying molecular mechanisms. Health-promoting effector molecules produced by probiotics are well documented and have been linked to specific genes and even individual nucleotides. However, the factors controlling the expression of these molecules are poorly understood and we argue that epigenetic influences likely play an important role in mediating the health-promoting attributes of probiotics. Here, we review established epigenetic regulation of important microbial genetic systems involved in health promotion, safety, and industrialization to provide evidence that the same regulation occurs in probiotic organisms. We advocate for studies combining genomic and meta-epigenomic data to better understand the mode of action of probiotics, their associated microbiomes, and their effects on consumers.
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103
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Tung A, Levin M. Extra-genomic instructive influences in morphogenesis: A review of external signals that regulate growth and form. Dev Biol 2020; 461:1-12. [PMID: 31981561 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic development and regeneration accomplish a remarkable feat: individual cells work together to create or repair complex anatomical structures. What is the source of the instructive signals that specify these invariant and robust organ-level outcomes? The most frequently studied source of morphogenetic control is the host genome and its transcriptional circuits. However, it is now apparent that significant information affecting patterning also arrives from outside of the body. Both biotic and physical factors, including temperature and various molecular signals emanating from pathogens, commensals, and conspecific organisms, affect developmental outcomes. Here, we review examples in which anatomical patterning decisions are strongly impacted by lateral signals that originate from outside of the zygotic genome. The endogenous pathways targeted by these influences often show transgenerational effects, enabling them to shape the evolution of anatomies even faster than traditional Baldwin-type assimilation. We also discuss recent advances in the biophysics of morphogenetic controls and speculate on additional sources of important patterning information which could be exploited to better understand the evolution of bodies and to design novel approaches for regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Tung
- Department of Biology and Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology and Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA; Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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104
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Xing L, Qi S, Zhou H, Zhang W, Zhang C, Ma W, Zhang Q, Shah K, Han M, Zhao J. Epigenomic Regulatory Mechanism in Vegetative Phase Transition of Malus hupehensis. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:4812-4829. [PMID: 32227940 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c00478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In woody plants, phase transitions substantially affect growth and development. Although there has been considerable interest in the regulatory mechanisms underlying phase changes, the associated epigenetic modifications remain relatively uncharacterized. We examined the DNA methylation changes and the transcriptional responses in adult and juvenile Malus hupehensis leaves. The DNA methylations were 66.61% and 68.3% in the CG context, 49.12% and 52.44% in the CHG context, and 7.02% and 8.22% in the CHH context for the adult and juvenile leaves, respectively. The number of differentially methylated regions in all contexts distributed in the genic regions varied. Additionally, inhibited DNA methylation in adult leaves activated the transcription of indole-3-acetic acid related genes in the signaling, response, and transport pathways. Moreover, the opposite methylation and expression patterns were observed for the SPL and AP2 family genes between the adult and juvenile leaves. Both gene families contribute to the M. hupehensis vegetative phase transition. Furthermore, the hyper-/hypomethylation of the gene body or promoter of transcription factor genes may lead to up-/downregulated gene expression. The methylation levels of the WRKY (22), NAC (21), ERF (8), WOX (2), KNAT (6), EIN3 (2), SCL (7), ZAT (7), and HSF (4) genes were higher in the adult leaves than in the juvenile leaves, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for the TCP (2), MADS-box (11), and DOF (3) genes. An analysis of the correlation between methylation and transcription indicated the methylation of the gene body in all contexts and the methylation of the promoter in the CG and CHG contexts are negatively correlated with gene expression. However, the methylation of the promoter in the CHH context is positively correlated with gene expression. These findings reflect the diversity in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression and may be useful for elucidating the epigenetic regulatory mechanism underlying the M. hupehensis vegetative phase transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libo Xing
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Internet of Things, Ministry of Agriculture Rural Affairs, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agriculture Information Perception and Intelligent Service, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Siyan Qi
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Zhou
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenguang Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenchun Ma
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingwei Zhang
- College of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Kamran Shah
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingyu Han
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Internet of Things, Ministry of Agriculture Rural Affairs, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agriculture Information Perception and Intelligent Service, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A & F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
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105
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Tissue-specific epigenetic inheritance after paternal heat exposure in male wild guinea pigs. Mamm Genome 2020; 31:157-169. [PMID: 32285146 PMCID: PMC7369130 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-020-09832-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
External temperature change has been shown to modify epigenetic patterns, such as DNA methylation, which regulates gene expression. DNA methylation is heritable, and as such provides a mechanism to convey environmental information to subsequent generations. Studies on epigenetic response to temperature increase are still scarce in wild mammals, even more so studies that compare tissue-specific epigenetic responses. Here, we aim to address differential epigenetic responses on a gene and gene pathway level in two organs, liver and testis. We chose these organs, because the liver is the main metabolic and thermoregulation organ, and epigenetic modifications in testis are potentially transmitted to the F2 generation. We focused on the transmission of DNA methylation changes to naive male offspring after paternal exposure to an ambient temperature increase of 10 °C, and investigated differential methylated regions of sons sired before and after the paternal exposure using Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing. We detected both a highly tissue-specific epigenetic response, reflected in genes involved in organ-specific metabolic pathways, and a more general regulation of single genes epigenetically modified in both organs. We conclude that genomes are context-specifically differentially epigenetically regulated in response to temperature increase. These findings emphasize the epigenetic relevance in cell differentiation, which is essential for the specific function(s) of complex organs, and is represented in a diverse molecular regulation of genes and gene pathways. The results also emphasize the paternal contribution to adaptive processes.
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106
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Angers B, Perez M, Menicucci T, Leung C. Sources of epigenetic variation and their applications in natural populations. Evol Appl 2020; 13:1262-1278. [PMID: 32684958 PMCID: PMC7359850 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic processes manage gene expression and products in a real‐time manner, allowing a single genome to display different phenotypes. In this paper, we discussed the relevance of assessing the different sources of epigenetic variation in natural populations. For a given genotype, the epigenetic variation could be environmentally induced or occur randomly. Strategies developed by organisms to face environmental fluctuations such as phenotypic plasticity and diversified bet‐hedging rely, respectively, on these different sources. Random variation can also represent a proxy of developmental stability and can be used to assess how organisms deal with stressful environmental conditions. We then proposed the microbiome as an extension of the epigenotype of the host to assess the factors determining the establishment of the community of microorganisms. Finally, we discussed these perspectives in the applied context of conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Angers
- Department of biological sciences Université de Montréal Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Maëva Perez
- Department of biological sciences Université de Montréal Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Tatiana Menicucci
- Department of biological sciences Université de Montréal Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Christelle Leung
- CEFE CNRS Université de Montpellier Université Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 EPHE Montpellier France
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107
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Libbrecht R, Nadrau D, Foitzik S. A Role of Histone Acetylation in the Regulation of Circadian Rhythm in Ants. iScience 2020; 23:100846. [PMID: 32004990 PMCID: PMC6995257 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.100846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In many organisms, circadian rhythms and associated oscillations in gene expression are controlled by post-translational modifications of histone proteins. Although epigenetic mechanisms influence key aspects of insect societies, their implication in regulating circadian rhythms has not been studied in social insects. Here we ask whether histone acetylation plays a role in adjusting circadian activity in the ant Temnothorax longispinosus. We characterized activity patterns in 20 colonies to reveal that these ants exhibit a diurnal rhythm in colony-level activity and can rapidly respond to changes in the light regime. Then we fed T. longispinosus colonies with C646, a chemical inhibitor of histone acetyltransferases, to show that treated colonies lost their circadian rhythmicity and failed to adjust their activity to the light regime. These findings suggest a role for histone acetylation in controlling rhythmicity in ants and implicate epigenetic processes in the regulation of circadian rhythms in a social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Biozentrum I, Hanns Dieter Hüsch Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Dennis Nadrau
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Biozentrum I, Hanns Dieter Hüsch Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Biozentrum I, Hanns Dieter Hüsch Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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108
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Wang K, Liu ZG, Lin ZG, Yin L, Gao FC, Chen GH, Ji T. Epigenetic Modifications May Regulate the Activation of the Hypopharyngeal Gland of Honeybees ( Apis Mellifera) During Winter. Front Genet 2020; 11:46. [PMID: 32117456 PMCID: PMC7029738 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification primarily responsible for individual phenotypic variation. This modification has been reported to play an important role in caste, brain plasticity, and body development in honeybees (Apis mellifera). Here, we report the DNA methylation profile of honeybee hypopharyngeal glands, from atrophy in winter to arousal in the following spring, through the use of whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Consistent with previous studies in other Apis species, we found low methylation levels of the hypopharyngeal gland genome that were mostly of the CG type. Notably, we observed a strong preference for CpG methylation, which was localized in promoters and exon regions. This result further indicated that, in honeybees, DNA methylation may regulate gene expression by mediating alternative splicing, in addition to silencing gene in the promoter regions. After assessment by correlation analysis, we identified seven candidate proteins encoded by differentially methylated genes, including aristaless-related homeobox, forkhead box protein O, headcase, alpha-amylase, neural-cadherin, epidermal growth factor receptor, and aquaporin, which are reported to be involved in cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. Hypomethylation followed by upregulated expression of these candidates suggested that DNA methylation may play significant roles in the activation of hypopharyngeal glands in overwintering honeybees. Overall, this study elucidates epigenetic modification differences in honeybee hypopharyngeal glands by comparing an inactive winter state to an aroused state in the following spring, which could provide further insight into the evolution of insect sociality and regulatory plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhen-guo Liu
- College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhe-guang Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ling Yin
- Jiangsu Agri-animal Husbandry Vocational College, Taizhou, China
| | - Fu-chao Gao
- Mudanjiang Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Guo-hong Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ting Ji
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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109
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Orlova M, Starkey J, Amsalem E. A small family business: synergistic and additive effects of the queen and the brood on worker reproduction in a primitively eusocial bee. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb217547. [PMID: 31953359 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.217547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms that maintain reproductive division of labor in social insects are still incompletely understood. Most studies focus on the relationship between adults, overlooking another important stakeholder - the juveniles. Recent studies show that not only the queen but also the brood regulate worker reproduction. However, how the two coordinate to maintain reproductive monopoly remained unexplored. Here, we disentangled the roles of the brood and the queen in primitively eusocial bees (Bombus impatiens) by examining their separated and combined effects on worker behavioral, physiological and brain gene expression. We found that young larvae produce a releaser effect on workers, decreasing oviposition and aggression, while the queen produces both releaser and primer effects, modifying worker behavior and reproductive physiology. The expression of reproduction- and aggression-related genes was altered in the presence of both queen and brood but was stronger or the same in the presence of the queen. We identified two types of interactions between the queen and the brood in regulating worker reproduction: (1) synergistic interactions regulating worker physiology, where the combined effect of the queen and the brood on worker physiology was greater than their separate effects; (2) additive interactions, where the combined effect of the queen and the brood on worker behavior was similar to the sum of their separate effects. Our results suggest that the queen and the brood interact synergistically and additively to regulate worker behavior and reproduction, and this interaction exists at multiple regulatory levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Orlova
- Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jesse Starkey
- Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Etya Amsalem
- Department of Entomology, Center for Chemical Ecology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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110
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Pratavieira M, da Silva Menegasso AR, Roat T, Malaspina O, Palma MS. In Situ Metabolomics of the Honeybee Brain: The Metabolism of l-Arginine through the Polyamine Pathway in the Proboscis Extension Response (PER). J Proteome Res 2020; 19:832-844. [PMID: 31859515 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The proboscis extension response (PER) reflex may be used to condition the pairing of an odor with sucrose, which is applied to the antennae, in experiments to induce learning, where the odor represents a conditioned stimulus, while sucrose represents an unconditioned stimulus. A series of studies have been conducted on honeybees, relating learning and memory acquisition/retrieval using the PER as a strategy for accessing their ability to exhibit an unconditioned stimulus; however, the major metabolic processes involved in the PER are not well known. Thus, the aim of this investigation is profiling the metabolome of the honeybee brain involved in the PER. In this study, a semiquantitative approach of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectral imaging (MSI) was used to profile the most abundant metabolites of the honeybee brain that support the PER. It was reported that execution of the PER requires the metabolic transformations of arginine, ornithine, and lysine as substrates for the production of putrescine, cadaverine, spermine, spermidine, 1,3-diaminopropane, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Considering the global metabolome of the brain of honeybee workers, the PER requires the consumption of large amounts of cadaverine and 1,3-diaminopropane, in parallel with the biosynthesis of high amounts of spermine, spermidine, and ornithine. To exhibit the PER, the brain of honeybee workers processes the conversion of l-arginine and l-lysine through the polyamine pathway, with different regional metabolomic profiles at the individual neuropil level. The outcomes of this study using this metabolic route as a reference are indicating that the antennal lobes and the calices (medial and lateral) were the most active brain regions for supporting the PER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Pratavieira
- Department of Biology, Center of the Study of Social Insects, Institute of Biosciences , University of São Paulo State (UNESP) , Rio Claro , SP CEP 13506-900 , Brazil
| | - Anally Ribeiro da Silva Menegasso
- Department of Biology, Center of the Study of Social Insects, Institute of Biosciences , University of São Paulo State (UNESP) , Rio Claro , SP CEP 13506-900 , Brazil
| | - Thaisa Roat
- Department of Biology, Center of the Study of Social Insects, Institute of Biosciences , University of São Paulo State (UNESP) , Rio Claro , SP CEP 13506-900 , Brazil
| | - Osmar Malaspina
- Department of Biology, Center of the Study of Social Insects, Institute of Biosciences , University of São Paulo State (UNESP) , Rio Claro , SP CEP 13506-900 , Brazil
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Department of Biology, Center of the Study of Social Insects, Institute of Biosciences , University of São Paulo State (UNESP) , Rio Claro , SP CEP 13506-900 , Brazil
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111
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Groh C, Rössler W. Analysis of Synaptic Microcircuits in the Mushroom Bodies of the Honeybee. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11010043. [PMID: 31936165 PMCID: PMC7023465 DOI: 10.3390/insects11010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Mushroom bodies (MBs) are multisensory integration centers in the insect brain involved in learning and memory formation. In the honeybee, the main sensory input region (calyx) of MBs is comparatively large and receives input from mainly olfactory and visual senses, but also from gustatory/tactile modalities. Behavioral plasticity following differential brood care, changes in sensory exposure or the formation of associative long-term memory (LTM) was shown to be associated with structural plasticity in synaptic microcircuits (microglomeruli) within olfactory and visual compartments of the MB calyx. In the same line, physiological studies have demonstrated that MB-calyx microcircuits change response properties after associative learning. The aim of this review is to provide an update and synthesis of recent research on the plasticity of microcircuits in the MB calyx of the honeybee, specifically looking at the synaptic connectivity between sensory projection neurons (PNs) and MB intrinsic neurons (Kenyon cells). We focus on the honeybee as a favorable experimental insect for studying neuronal mechanisms underlying complex social behavior, but also compare it with other insect species for certain aspects. This review concludes by highlighting open questions and promising routes for future research aimed at understanding the causal relationships between neuronal and behavioral plasticity in this charismatic social insect.
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112
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Hu J, Askary AM, Thurman TJ, Spiller DA, Palmer TM, Pringle RM, Barrett RDH. The Epigenetic Signature of Colonizing New Environments in Anolis Lizards. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 36:2165-2170. [PMID: 31147693 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Founder populations often show rapid divergence from source populations after colonizing new environments. Epigenetic modifications can mediate phenotypic responses to environmental change and may be an important mechanism promoting rapid differentiation in founder populations. Whereas many long-term studies have explored the extent to which divergence between source and founder populations is genetically heritable versus plastic, the role of epigenetic processes during colonization remains unclear. To investigate epigenetic modifications in founding populations, we experimentally colonized eight small Caribbean islands with brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) from a common source population. We then quantitatively measured genome-wide DNA methylation in liver tissue using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing of individuals transplanted onto islands with high- versus low-habitat quality. We found that lizard sex and habitat quality explained a significant proportion of epigenetic variation. Differentially methylated cytosines mapped to genes that encode proteins with functions likely to be relevant to habitat change (e.g., signal transduction, immune response, circadian rhythm). This study provides experimental evidence of a relationship between epigenetic responses and the earliest stages of colonization of novel environments in nature and suggests that habitat quality influences the nature of these epigenetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntao Hu
- Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Arash M Askary
- Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Timothy J Thurman
- Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - Dave A Spiller
- Section of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - Todd M Palmer
- Mpala Research Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Robert M Pringle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
| | - Rowan D H Barrett
- Redpath Museum and Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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113
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DNA Methylation and Histone H1 Jointly Repress Transposable Elements and Aberrant Intragenic Transcripts. Mol Cell 2020; 77:310-323.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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114
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Pimpinelli S, Piacentini L. Environmental change and the evolution of genomes: Transposable elements as translators of phenotypic plasticity into genotypic variability. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Pimpinelli
- Istituto Pasteur Italia Fondazione Cenci‐Bolognetti and Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘C. Darwin’ Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
| | - Lucia Piacentini
- Istituto Pasteur Italia Fondazione Cenci‐Bolognetti and Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘C. Darwin’ Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy
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115
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Oppert B, Perkin L. RNAiSeq: How to See the Big Picture. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2570. [PMID: 31798548 PMCID: PMC6868115 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting genes via RNA interference (RNAi) has become a successful method to reduce pest populations. Ideally, the expression of a gene critical for a life function in the insect is targeted by specific dsRNA, via spray or oral delivery. Experts have developed working guidelines in the development and regulation of RNAi as a pesticide. We argue that an important tool in the validation of RNAi is genome-wide expression analysis in the targeted pest, and we name this approach RNAiSeq. We have used RNAiSeq in the coleopteran model Tribolium castaneum to validate knockdown of target genes, and to examine the effect of knockdown on other genes. With RNAiSeq, we identified compensation responses to the knockdown of a gene encoding a major digestive enzyme in larvae that correlated to the responses we have observed with ingested protease inhibitors. Compensation can mask RNAi phenotypic responses and is important to understand in the context of efficacy. RNAiSeq also has identified new gene interactions that were previously unassociated with the target gene, important in the context of the large number of genes without associated functions in insects and other organisms. We discuss other research where RNAiSeq has led to important findings. These data not only provide validation of target knockdown, but also further identify changes in the expression of other genes impacted by the knockdown. From the context of pest control, this information can be used to predict genetic changes that will impact the efficacy of RNAi products in target pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Oppert
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Lindsey Perkin
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, College Station, TX, United States
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116
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Koubová J, Jehlík T, Kodrík D, Sábová M, Šima P, Sehadová H, Závodská R, Frydrychová RČ. Telomerase activity is upregulated in the fat bodies of pre-diapause bumblebee queens (Bombus terrestris). INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 115:103241. [PMID: 31536769 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.103241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The attrition of telomeres, the ends of eukaryote chromosomes, and activity of telomerase, the enzyme that restores telomere length, play a role in the ageing process and act as indicators of biological age. A notable feature of advanced eusocial insects is the longevity of reproductive individuals (queens and kings) compared to those from non-reproductive castes (workers and soldiers) within a given species, with a proposed link towards upregulation of telomerase activity in the somatic tissues of reproductive individuals. Given this, eusocial insects provide excellent model systems for research into ageing. We tested telomerase activity and measured telomere length in Bombus terrestris, which is a primitively eusocial insect species with several distinct features compared to advanced social insects. In somatic tissues, telomerase activity was upregulated only in the fat bodies of pre-diapause queens, and this upregulation was linked to heightened DNA synthesis. Telomere length was shorter in old queens compared to that in younger queens or workers. We speculate that (1) the upregulation of telomerase activity, together with DNA synthesis, is the essential step for intensifying metabolic activity in the fat body to build up a sufficient energy reserve prior to diapause, and that (2) the lifespan differences between B. terrestris workers and queens are related to the long diapause period of the queen. A possible relationship between telomere length regulation and TOR, FOXO, and InR as cell signaling components, was tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justina Koubová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Jehlík
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dalibor Kodrík
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michala Sábová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Šima
- Koppert s.r.o., Komárňanská cesta 13, 940 01, Nové Zámky, Slovakia
| | - Hana Sehadová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radka Závodská
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Pedagogy, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Radmila Čapková Frydrychová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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117
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Glastad KM, Graham RJ, Ju L, Roessler J, Brady CM, Berger SL. Epigenetic Regulator CoREST Controls Social Behavior in Ants. Mol Cell 2019; 77:338-351.e6. [PMID: 31732456 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Ants acquire distinct morphological and behavioral phenotypes arising from a common genome, underscoring the importance of epigenetic regulation. In Camponotus floridanus, "Major" workers defend the colony, but can be epigenetically reprogrammed to forage for food analogously to "Minor" workers. Here, we utilize reprogramming to investigate natural behavioral specification. Reprogramming of Majors upregulates Minor-biased genes and downregulates Major-biased genes, engaging molecular pathways fundamental to foraging behavior. We discover the neuronal corepressor for element-1-silencing transcription factor (CoREST) is upregulated upon reprogramming and required for the epigenetic switch to foraging. Genome-wide profiling during reprogramming reveals CoREST represses expression of enzymes that degrade juvenile hormone (JH), a hormone elevated upon reprogramming. High CoREST, low JH-degrader expression, and high JH levels are mirrored in natural Minors, revealing parallel mechanisms of natural and reprogrammed foraging. These results unveil chromatin regulation via CoREST as central to programming of ant social behavior, with potential far-reaching implications for behavioral epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl M Glastad
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Riley J Graham
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Linyang Ju
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julian Roessler
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Cristina M Brady
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shelley L Berger
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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118
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de Mendoza A, Lister R, Bogdanovic O. Evolution of DNA Methylome Diversity in Eukaryotes. J Mol Biol 2019:S0022-2836(19)30659-X. [PMID: 31726061 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cytosine DNA methylation (5mC) is a widespread base modification in eukaryotic genomes with critical roles in transcriptional regulation. In recent years, our understanding of 5mC has changed because of advances in 5mC detection techniques that allow mapping of this mark on the whole genome scale. Profiling DNA methylomes from organisms across the eukaryotic tree of life has reshaped our views on the evolution of 5mC. In this review, we explore the macroevolution of 5mC in major eukaryotic groups, and then focus on recent advances made in animals. Genomic 5mC patterns as well as the mechanisms of 5mC deposition tend to be evolutionary labile across large phylogenetic distances; however, some common patterns are starting to emerge. Within the animal kingdom, 5mC diversity has proven to be much greater than anticipated. For example, a previously held common view that genome hypermethylation is a trait exclusive to vertebrates has recently been challenged. Also, data from genome-wide studies are starting to yield insights into the potential roles of 5mC in invertebrate cis regulation. Here we provide an evolutionary perspective of both the well-known and enigmatic roles of 5mC across the eukaryotic tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex de Mendoza
- ARC CoE Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Ryan Lister
- ARC CoE Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Ozren Bogdanovic
- Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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119
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Harris KD, Lloyd JPB, Domb K, Zilberman D, Zemach A. DNA methylation is maintained with high fidelity in the honey bee germline and exhibits global non-functional fluctuations during somatic development. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12:62. [PMID: 31601251 PMCID: PMC6786280 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-019-0307-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation of active genes, also known as gene body methylation, is found in many animal and plant genomes. Despite this, the transcriptional and developmental role of such methylation remains poorly understood. Here, we explore the dynamic range of DNA methylation in honey bee, a model organism for gene body methylation. RESULTS Our data show that CG methylation in gene bodies globally fluctuates during honey bee development. However, these changes cause no gene expression alterations. Intriguingly, despite the global alterations, tissue-specific CG methylation patterns of complete genes or exons are rare, implying robust maintenance of genic methylation during development. Additionally, we show that CG methylation maintenance fluctuates in somatic cells, while reaching maximum fidelity in sperm cells. Finally, unlike universally present CG methylation, we discovered non-CG methylation specifically in bee heads that resembles such methylation in mammalian brain tissue. CONCLUSIONS Based on these results, we propose that gene body CG methylation can oscillate during development if it is kept to a level adequate to preserve function. Additionally, our data suggest that heightened non-CG methylation is a conserved regulator of animal nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith D Harris
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, 69978, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - James P B Lloyd
- Center for RNA Systems Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Katherine Domb
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, 69978, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel Zilberman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Center, Norwich, UK.
| | - Assaf Zemach
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel-Aviv University, 69978, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
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120
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Marshall H, Lonsdale ZN, Mallon EB. Methylation and gene expression differences between reproductive and sterile bumblebee workers. Evol Lett 2019; 3:485-499. [PMID: 31636941 PMCID: PMC6791180 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is the production of multiple phenotypes from a single genome and is notably observed in social insects. Multiple epigenetic mechanisms have been associated with social insect plasticity, with DNA methylation being explored to the greatest extent. DNA methylation is thought to play a role in caste determination in Apis mellifera, and other social insects, but there is limited knowledge on its role in other bee species. In this study, we analyzed whole genome bisulfite sequencing and RNA-seq data sets from head tissue of reproductive and sterile castes of the eusocial bumblebee Bombus terrestris. We found that genome-wide methylation in B. terrestris is similar to other holometabolous insects and does not differ between reproductive castes. We did, however, find differentially methylated genes between castes, which are enriched for multiple biological processes including reproduction. However, we found no relationship between differential methylation and differential gene expression or differential exon usage between castes. Our results also indicate high intercolony variation in methylation. These findings suggest that methylation is associated with caste differences but may serve an alternate function, other than direct caste determination in this species. This study provides the first insights into the nature of a bumblebee caste-specific methylome as well as its interaction with gene expression and caste-specific alternative splicing, providing greater understanding of the role of methylation in phenotypic plasticity within social bee species. Future experimental work is needed to determine the function of methylation and other epigenetic mechanisms in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hollie Marshall
- Department of Genetics and Genome BiologyThe University of LeicesterLeicesterUnited Kingdom
| | - Zoë N. Lonsdale
- Department of Genetics and Genome BiologyThe University of LeicesterLeicesterUnited Kingdom
| | - Eamonn B. Mallon
- Department of Genetics and Genome BiologyThe University of LeicesterLeicesterUnited Kingdom
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121
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Chole H, Woodard SH, Bloch G. Body size variation in bees: regulation, mechanisms, and relationship to social organization. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 35:77-87. [PMID: 31426016 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Size polymorphism is common in bees, and is determined by environmental factors such as temperature, brood cell size, and the diet provided to developing larvae. In social bees, these factors are further influenced by intricate interactions between the queen, workers, and the developing brood which eventually determine the final size and caste of developing larvae. Environmental and social factors act in part on juvenile hormone and ecdysteroids, which are key hormonal regulators of body size and caste determination. In some social bees, body size variation is central for social organization because it structures reproductive division of labor, task allocation among workers, or both. At ecological scales, body size also impacts bee-mediated pollination services in solitary and social species by influencing floral visitation and pollination efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Chole
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Sarah Hollis Woodard
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Guy Bloch
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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122
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Richard G, Le Trionnaire G, Danchin E, Sentis A. Epigenetics and insect polyphenism: mechanisms and climate change impacts. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 35:138-145. [PMID: 31557627 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is a ubiquitous process found in all living organisms. Polyphenism is an extreme case of phenotypic plasticity which shares a common scheme in insects such as honeybees, locusts or aphids: an initial perception of environmental stimuli, a neuroendocrine transmission of these signals to the target tissues, the activation of epigenetic mechanisms allowing the setup of alternative transcriptional programs responsible for the establishment of discrete phenotypes. Climate change can modulate the environmental stimuli triggering polyphenisms, and/or some epigenetics marks, thus modifying on the short and long terms the discrete phenotype proportions within populations. This might result in critical ecosystem changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautier Richard
- Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Stübeweg 51, 79108 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; IGEPP, INRA, Agrocampus Ouest, Univ Rennes, 35600 Le Rheu, France
| | | | - Etienne Danchin
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD. 118 route de Narbonne, Bat 4R1, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
| | - Arnaud Sentis
- IRSTEA, Aix Marseille Univ., UMR RECOVER, 3275 route Cézanne, 13182 Aix-en-Provence, France
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123
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Chen W, Dong Y, Lin L, Saqib HSA, Ma X, Xu X, Zhang L, Jing X, Peng L, Wang Y, Vasseur L, He W, You M. Implication for DNA methylation involved in the host transfer of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 102:e21600. [PMID: 31328824 DOI: 10.1002/arch.21600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation exerts extensive impacts on gene expression of various living organisms exposed to environmental variation. However, little is known whether DNA methylation is involved in the host transfer of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), a worldwide destructive pest of crucifers. In this study, we found that P. xylostella genome exhibited a relatively low level of DNA methylation on the basis of the CpG O/E prediction and experimental validation. A significant positive linear correlation was observed between the stage-specific expressions of PxDNMT1 and DNA methylation levels (5mC content). Particularly, high levels of DNA methylation and gene expression of PxDNMT1 were observed in eggs and mature females of P. xylostella. After host transfer of P. xylostella from Raphanus sativus to Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified some potential genomic loci that might have changed methylation levels. Using the method of fluorescence-labeled methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (F-MSAP), we also found the corresponding genes primarily involved in neural system and signaling. The expressions of six candidate genes were verified by qRT-PCR. One of the genes, Px009600, might be regulated by a DNA methylation-mediated mechanism in response to host transfer. Our study provides evidence for a functional system of DNA methylation in P. xylostella and its possible role in adaptation during host transfer. Further studies should examine methylation as responsive factors to different host plants and environmental cues in insect pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuhong Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lianyun Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hafiz Sohaib Ahmed Saqib
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xuejiao Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lingling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Jing
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lu Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yue Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Liette Vasseur
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
| | - Weiyi He
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Minsheng You
- State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
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124
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Duforestel M, Nadaradjane A, Bougras-Cartron G, Briand J, Olivier C, Frenel JS, Vallette FM, Lelièvre SA, Cartron PF. Glyphosate Primes Mammary Cells for Tumorigenesis by Reprogramming the Epigenome in a TET3-Dependent Manner. Front Genet 2019; 10:885. [PMID: 31611907 PMCID: PMC6777643 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The acknowledgment that pollutants might influence the epigenome raises serious concerns regarding their long-term impact on the development of chronic diseases. The herbicide glyphosate has been scrutinized for an impact on cancer incidence, but reports demonstrate the difficulty of linking estimates of exposure and response analysis. An approach to better apprehend a potential risk impact for cancer is to follow a synergistic approach, as cancer rarely occurs in response to one risk factor. The known influence of glyphosate on estrogen-regulated pathway makes it a logical target of investigation in breast cancer research. We have used nonneoplastic MCF10A cells in a repeated glyphosate exposure pattern over 21 days. Glyphosate triggered a significant reduction in DNA methylation, as shown by the level of 5-methylcytosine DNA; however, in contrast to strong demethylating agent and cancer promoter UP peptide, glyphosate-treated cells did not lead to tumor development. Whereas UP acts through a DNMT1/PCNA/UHRF1 pathway, glyphosate triggered increased activity of ten-eleven translocation (TET)3. Combining glyphosate with enhanced expression of microRNA (miR) 182-5p associated with breast cancer induced tumor development in 50% of mice. Culture of primary cells from resected tumors revealed a luminal B (ER+/PR-/HER2-) phenotype in response to glyphosate-miR182-5p exposure with sensitivity to tamoxifen and invasive and migratory potentials. Tumor development could be prevented either by specifically inhibiting miR 182-5p or by treating glyphosate-miR 182-5p-cells with dimethyloxallyl glycine, an inhibitor of TET pathway. Looking for potential epigenetic marks of TET-mediated gene regulation under glyphosate exposure, we identified MTRNR2L2 and DUX4 genes, the hypomethylation of which was sustained even after stopping glyphosate exposure for 6 weeks. Our findings reveal that low pressure but sustained DNA hypomethylation occurring via the TET pathway primes cells for oncogenic response in the presence of another potential risk factor. These results warrant further investigation of glyphosate-mediated breast cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Duforestel
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Equipe Apoptose et Progression tumorale, LaBCT, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint Herblain, France.,Cancéropole Grand-Ouest, réseau Epigénétique (RepiCGO), Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Arulraj Nadaradjane
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Equipe Apoptose et Progression tumorale, LaBCT, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint Herblain, France.,Cancéropole Grand-Ouest, réseau Epigénétique (RepiCGO), Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Gwenola Bougras-Cartron
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Equipe Apoptose et Progression tumorale, LaBCT, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint Herblain, France.,Cancéropole Grand-Ouest, réseau Epigénétique (RepiCGO), Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Joséphine Briand
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Equipe Apoptose et Progression tumorale, LaBCT, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint Herblain, France.,Cancéropole Grand-Ouest, réseau Epigénétique (RepiCGO), Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Christophe Olivier
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Equipe Apoptose et Progression tumorale, LaBCT, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint Herblain, France.,Service de toxicologie, Faculté de pharmacie de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Jean-Sébastien Frenel
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Equipe Apoptose et Progression tumorale, LaBCT, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint Herblain, France.,Cancéropole Grand-Ouest, réseau Epigénétique (RepiCGO), Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - François M Vallette
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Equipe Apoptose et Progression tumorale, LaBCT, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint Herblain, France.,Cancéropole Grand-Ouest, réseau Epigénétique (RepiCGO), Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Sophie A Lelièvre
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.,Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Pierre-François Cartron
- CRCINA, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Equipe Apoptose et Progression tumorale, LaBCT, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint Herblain, France.,Cancéropole Grand-Ouest, réseau Epigénétique (RepiCGO), Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
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125
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Wu F, Ma C, Han B, Meng L, Hu H, Fang Y, Feng M, Zhang X, Rueppell O, Li J. Behavioural, physiological and molecular changes in alloparental caregivers may be responsible for selection response for female reproductive investment in honey bees. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:4212-4227. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fan Wu
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology Ministry of Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Chuan Ma
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology Ministry of Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Bin Han
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology Ministry of Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Lifeng Meng
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology Ministry of Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Han Hu
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology Ministry of Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Yu Fang
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology Ministry of Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Mao Feng
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology Ministry of Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Xufeng Zhang
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology Ministry of Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
| | - Olav Rueppell
- Department of Biology University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro NC USA
| | - Jianke Li
- Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology Ministry of Agriculture Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science Beijing China
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126
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De Souza DA, Hartfelder KH, Tarpy DR. Effects of larval Age at Grafting and Juvenile Hormone on Morphometry and Reproductive Quality Parameters of in Vitro Reared Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 112:2030-2039. [PMID: 31145456 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toz148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The honey bee queen plays a central role in the Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colony, and her high reproductive capacity is fundamental for building up the workforce of a colony. Caste development in honey bee females involves elaborate physiological pathways unleashed at the beginning of the first larval instars, with juvenile hormone (JH) playing a crucial role. Here we took advantage of established in vitro rearing techniques to conduct a 2 × 2 experimental design and test initial rearing age (young vs old) and JH treatment (JH III vs solvent control) to enlighten the role of nutrient quality and JH in shaping honey bee female fertility, morphological features related to queenliness, and key physiological parameters (hemolymph vitellogenin/Vg, sugar levels, and Vg transcript levels). Our results show that while the age at initial larval rearing had major impacts on external morphology development, where younger larvae exhibited a higher probability to develop into queen-like adults morphotypes, the JH application during the larval stage improved physiological pathways related to ovary development and metabolism during the ontogenic development. We detected that the supplementation of queen larvae with JH promoted important benefits regarding queen fertility as the increase of ovariole number and vg levels at hemolymph, both crucial factors at eggs production. The data presented here provide guidance in efforts to improve honey bee queen quality, especially in light of frequent episodes of queen failures in the beekeeping industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiana A De Souza
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Campus, Raleigh, NC
| | - Klaus H Hartfelder
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP
| | - David R Tarpy
- Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Campus, Raleigh, NC
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
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127
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Seebacher F, Krause J. Epigenetics of Social Behaviour. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:818-830. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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128
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Rey O, Eizaguirre C, Angers B, Baltazar‐Soares M, Sagonas K, Prunier JG, Blanchet S. Linking epigenetics and biological conservation: Towards a
conservation epigenetics
perspective. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Rey
- CNRS UMR 5244, Interactions Hôtes‐Pathogènes‐Environnements (IHPE) Université de Perpignan Via Domitia Perpignan France
| | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Bernard Angers
- Department of Biological Sciences Université de Montréal Montreal QC Canada
| | | | - Kostas Sagonas
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Jérôme G. Prunier
- Evolution et Diversité Biologique, École Nationale Supérieure de Formation de l'Enseignement Agricole (ENSFEA), CNRS, UPS, UMR5174 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) Toulouse France
| | - Simon Blanchet
- Evolution et Diversité Biologique, École Nationale Supérieure de Formation de l'Enseignement Agricole (ENSFEA), CNRS, UPS, UMR5174 Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) Toulouse France
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UMR5321, CNRS Université Paul Sabatier (UP) Moulis France
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129
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Lafuente E, Beldade P. Genomics of Developmental Plasticity in Animals. Front Genet 2019; 10:720. [PMID: 31481970 PMCID: PMC6709652 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental plasticity refers to the property by which the same genotype produces distinct phenotypes depending on the environmental conditions under which development takes place. By allowing organisms to produce phenotypes adjusted to the conditions that adults will experience, developmental plasticity can provide the means to cope with environmental heterogeneity. Developmental plasticity can be adaptive and its evolution can be shaped by natural selection. It has also been suggested that developmental plasticity can facilitate adaptation and promote diversification. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the evolution of plasticity and on the impact of plasticity on adaptive evolution, and we identify recent advances and important open questions about the genomics of developmental plasticity in animals. We give special attention to studies using transcriptomics to identify genes whose expression changes across developmental environments and studies using genetic mapping to identify loci that contribute to variation in plasticity and can fuel its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrícia Beldade
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- CNRS-UMR5174, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Changes, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
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130
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Arsenault SV, Glastad KM, Hunt BG. Leveraging technological innovations to investigate evolutionary transitions to eusociality. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 34:27-32. [PMID: 31247414 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The study of the major transition to eusociality presents several challenges to researchers, largely resulting from the importance of complex behavioral phenotypes and the shift from individual to group level selection. These challenges are being met with corresponding technological improvements. Advances in resource development for non-model taxa, behavioral tracking, nucleic acid sequencing, and reverse genetics are facilitating studies of hypotheses that were previously intractable. These innovations are resulting in the development of new model systems tailored to the exploration of specific behavioral phenotypes and the querying of underlying molecular mechanisms that drive eusocial behaviors. Here, we present a brief overview of how methodological innovations are advancing our understanding of the evolution of eusociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel V Arsenault
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Karl M Glastad
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Brendan G Hunt
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States.
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131
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Xing L, Li Y, Qi S, Zhang C, Ma W, Zuo X, Liang J, Gao C, Jia P, Shah K, Zhang D, An N, Zhao C, Han M, Zhao J. Comparative RNA-Sequencing and DNA Methylation Analyses of Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) Buds with Diverse Flowering Capabilities Reveal Novel Insights into the Regulatory Mechanisms of Flower Bud Formation. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 60:1702-1721. [PMID: 31077318 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcz080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In plants, DNA methylation (i.e. chromatin modification) is important for various biological processes, including growth, development and flowering. Because 'Fuji' apple trees are alternate bearing and have a long ripening period and poor-quality flower buds, we used bud types with diverse flowering capabilities to investigate the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms influencing flower bud formation. We examined the DNA methylation changes and the transcriptional responses in the selected apple bud types. We observed that in the apple genome, approximately 79.5%, 67.4% and 23.7% of the CG, CHG and CHH sequences are methylated, respectively. For each sequence context, differentially methylated regions exhibited distinct methylation patterns among the analyzed apple bud types. Global methylation and transcriptional analyses revealed that nonexpressed genes or genes expressed at low levels were highly methylated in the gene-body regions, suggesting that gene-body methylation is negatively correlated with gene expression. Moreover, genes with methylated promoters were more highly expressed than genes with unmethylated promoters, implying promoter methylation and gene expression are positively correlated. Additionally, flowering-related genes (e.g. SOC1, AP1 and SPLs) and some transcription factor genes (e.g. GATA, bHLH, bZIP and WOX) were highly expressed in spur buds (highest flowering rate), but were associated with low methylation levels in the gene-body regions. Our findings indicate a potential correlation between DNA methylation and gene expression in apple buds with diverse flowering capabilities, suggesting an epigenetic regulatory mechanism influences apple flower bud formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libo Xing
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
- Ministry of Agriculture Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Internet of Things, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agriculture Information Perception and Intelligent Service, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Youmei Li
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Siyan Qi
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Chenguang Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Wenchun Ma
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Xiya Zuo
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Jiayan Liang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Cai Gao
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Pen Jia
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Kamran Shah
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Dong Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Na An
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Caiping Zhao
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Mingyu Han
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
| | - Juan Zhao
- Ministry of Agriculture Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Internet of Things, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agriculture Information Perception and Intelligent Service, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P. R. China
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132
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Beekman M, Oldroyd BP. Conflict and major transitions - why we need true queens. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 34:73-79. [PMID: 31247422 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to human societies, where kings and queens can be sources of conflict, we argue that the morphologically distinct queens of insect colonies are central to the minimization of conflict within their societies. Thus, the evolution of irreversible queen and worker castes represents a major transition in social evolution. Queens are selected to become better reproducers, and workers are selected to become better workers. The reproductive success of queens and workers are, therefore, inextricably linked. Workers achieve reproductive success by assisting the queen, whereas the queen needs her workers to provide her with the wherewithal to raise her brood. The tighter the mutual dependence, the lower conflict, and the larger insect societies can become. As the queen becomes a better breeder, workers are selected to become better at raising their siblings. Yet, nothing in nature is ever free of conflict and with the evolution of a true worker caste a new set of conflicts arises. Multiple mating by queens in particular opens the door to a new set of conflicts. Ironically, multiple mating can only evolve once within-colony conflict is reduced by evolving a true worker caste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Beekman
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Life and Environmental Sciences A12, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Benjamin P Oldroyd
- Behaviour and Genetics of Social Insects Lab, School of Life and Environmental Sciences A12, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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133
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Suzuki R, Yaguchi H, Maekawa K. Histone modifying genes are involved in the molting period during soldier differentiation in Zootermopsis nevadensis. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 117:103892. [PMID: 31170409 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Caste differentiation in eusocial insects is an outstanding example of phenotypic plasticity. Recent studies indicate that epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation and histone modification, play a role in the morphological and behavioral polyphenism observed in the caste differentiation of hymenopteran insects. The role of epigenetic regulation in termite caste differentiation, however, is still obscure. In this study, we performed a functional analysis of epigenetic-related genes during soldier differentiation in Zootermopsis nevadensis, for which the entire genome sequence is available. In an incipient colony of this species, the oldest 3rd instar larva (No. 1 larva) always differentiates into a presoldier (intermediate stage of soldier), and the next-oldest 3rd instar larva (No. 2 larva) molts into a 4th instar (which functions as a worker). First, we detected seven epigenetic-related genes with significantly increased expression levels in the soldier-destined No. 1 larvae using RNA-seq data. Second, RNA interference (RNAi) of these seven genes was performed in the No. 1 larvae. RNAi of three histone modifying genes extended the presoldier molting period. Furthermore, these RNAi treatments reduced the expression levels of genes involved in juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis, binding and signaling. These results indicate that epigenetic-related genes do not directly affect termite soldier differentiation; nonetheless, some histone modifying genes have an effect on molting periods, possibly due to the regulation of JH action during soldier differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryutaro Suzuki
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hajime Yaguchi
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan; Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Japan
| | - Kiyoto Maekawa
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
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134
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Taylor BA, Reuter M, Sumner S. Patterns of reproductive differentiation and reproductive plasticity in the major evolutionary transition to superorganismality. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2019; 34:40-47. [PMID: 31247416 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Major evolutionary transitions in individuality are characterised by the formation of new levels of biological complexity from the cooperation of previously independent lower-level units. The evolution of superorganismality in insects is one such major transition, and is characterised by an extreme division of reproductive labour between ancestrally autonomous units, in the form of queen and worker castes. Here, we discuss the nature of plasticity in the emergence of castes across the major transition to superorganismality in insects. We identify key changes in plasticity which act at different levels of selection: a loss of reproductivity plasticity at the individual level is matched by a gain in plasticity at the colony level. Taking multi-level selection into consideration has important implications for formulating testable hypotheses regarding the nature of plasticity in a major transition from a lower to a higher level of biological complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A Taylor
- Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Max Reuter
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Seirian Sumner
- Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
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135
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Durante MK, Baums IB, Williams DE, Vohsen S, Kemp DW. What drives phenotypic divergence among coral clonemates of Acropora palmata? Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3208-3224. [PMID: 31282031 PMCID: PMC6852117 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary rescue of populations depends on their ability to produce phenotypic variation that is heritable and adaptive. DNA mutations are the best understood mechanisms to create phenotypic variation, but other, less well-studied mechanisms exist. Marine benthic foundation species provide opportunities to study these mechanisms because many are dominated by isogenic stands produced through asexual reproduction. For example, Caribbean acroporid corals are long lived and reproduce asexually via breakage of branches. Fragmentation is often the dominant mode of local population maintenance. Thus, large genets with many ramets (colonies) are common. Here, we observed phenotypic variation in stress responses within genets following the coral bleaching events in 2014 and 2015 caused by high water temperatures. This was not due to genetic variation in their symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium "fitti") because each genet of this coral species typically harbours a single strain of S. "fitti". Characterization of the microbiome via 16S tag sequencing correlated the abundance of only two microbiome members (Tepidiphilus, Endozoicomonas) with a bleaching response. Epigenetic changes were significantly correlated with the host's genetic background, the location of the sampled polyps within the colonies (e.g., branch vs. base of colony), and differences in the colonies' condition during the bleaching event. We conclude that long-term microenvironmental differences led to changes in the way the ramets methylated their genomes, contributing to the differential bleaching response. However, most of the variation in differential bleaching response among clonemates of Acropora palmata remains unexplained. This research provides novel data and hypotheses to help understand intragenet variability in stress phenotypes of sessile marine species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dana E. Williams
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationSoutheast Fisheries Science CenterMiamiFLUSA
| | - Sam Vohsen
- The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - Dustin W. Kemp
- The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
- Present address:
University of Alabama at BirminghamBirminghamALUSA
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136
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Bebane PSA, Hunt BJ, Pegoraro M, Jones ARC, Marshall H, Rosato E, Mallon EB. The effects of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid on gene expression and DNA methylation in the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190718. [PMID: 31213186 PMCID: PMC6599982 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neonicotinoids are effective insecticides used on many important arable and horticultural crops. They are nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists which disrupt the function of insect neurons and cause paralysis and death. In addition to direct mortality, there are numerous sublethal effects of low doses of neonicotinoids on bees. We hypothesize that some of these large array of effects could be a consequence of epigenetic changes in bees induced by neonicotinoids. We compared whole methylome (BS-seq) and RNA-seq libraries of the brains of buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris workers exposed to field-realistic doses of the neonicotinoid imidacloprid to libraries from control workers. We found numerous genes which show differential expression between neonicotinoid-treated bees and control bees, but no differentially methylated cytosines in any context. We found CpG methylation to be focused mainly in exons and associated with highly expressed genes. We discuss the implications of our results for future legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. S. A. Bebane
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - B. J. Hunt
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, John Moores University Liverpool, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - M. Pegoraro
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - A. R. C Jones
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - H. Marshall
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - E. Rosato
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - E. B. Mallon
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
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137
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Wei H, He XJ, Liao CH, Wu XB, Jiang WJ, Zhang B, Zhou LB, Zhang LZ, Barron AB, Zeng ZJ. A Maternal Effect on Queen Production in Honeybees. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2208-2213.e3. [PMID: 31231048 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Influences from the mother on offspring phenotype, known as maternal effects, are an important cause of adaptive phenotypic plasticity [1, 2]. Eusocial insects show dramatic phenotypic plasticity with morphologically distinct reproductive (queen) and worker castes [3, 4]. The dominant paradigm for honeybees (Apis mellifera) is that castes are environmentally rather than genetically determined, with the environment and diet of young larvae causing caste differentiation [5-9]. A role for maternal effects has not been considered, but here we show that egg size also influences queen development. Queens laid significantly bigger eggs in the larger queen cells than in the worker cells. Eggs laid in queen cells (QE), laid in worker cells (WE), and 2-day old larvae from worker cells (2L) were transferred to artificial queen cells to be reared as queens in a standardized environment. Newly emerged adult queens from QE were heavier than those from the other two groups and had more ovarioles, indicating a consequence of egg size for adult queen morphology. Gene expression analyses identified several significantly differentially expressed genes between newly emerged queens from QE and those from the other groups. These included a disproportionate number of genes involved in hormonal signaling, body development, and immune pathways, which are key traits differing between queens and workers. That egg size influences emerging queen morphology and physiology and that queens lay larger eggs in queen cells demonstrate both a maternal effect on the expression of the queen phenotype and a more active role for the queen in gyne production than has been realized previously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wei
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China
| | - Xu Jiang He
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China
| | - Chun Hua Liao
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China
| | - Xiao Bo Wu
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China
| | - Wu Jun Jiang
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China
| | - Lin Bin Zhou
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China
| | - Li Zhen Zhang
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China
| | - Andrew B Barron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Zhi Jiang Zeng
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330045, P.R. of China.
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138
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Li S, Chen M, Li Y, Tollefsbol TO. Prenatal epigenetics diets play protective roles against environmental pollution. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:82. [PMID: 31097039 PMCID: PMC6524340 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0659-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is thought that germ cells and preimplantation embryos during development are most susceptible to endogenous and exogenous environmental factors because the epigenome in those cells is undergoing dramatic elimination and reconstruction. Exposure to environmental factors such as nutrition, climate, stress, pathogens, toxins, and even social behavior during gametogenesis and early embryogenesis has been shown to influence disease susceptibility in the offspring. Early-life epigenetic modifications, which determine the expression of genetic information stored in the genome, are viewed as one of the general mechanisms linking prenatal exposure and phenotypic changes later in life. From atmospheric pollution, endocrine-disrupting chemicals to heavy metals, research increasingly suggests that environmental pollutions have already produced significant consequences on human health. Moreover, mounting evidence now links such pollution to relevant modification in the epigenome. The epigenetics diet, referring to a class of bioactive dietary compounds such as isothiocyanates in broccoli, genistein in soybean, resveratrol in grape, epigallocatechin-3-gallate in green tea, and ascorbic acid in fruits, has been shown to modify the epigenome leading to beneficial health outcomes. This review will primarily focus on the causes and consequences of prenatal environment pollution exposure on the epigenome, and the potential protective role of the epigenetics diet, which could play a central role in neutralizing epigenomic aberrations against environmental pollutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shizhao Li
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
- Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Trygve O Tollefsbol
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
- Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
- Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
- Comprehensive Diabetes Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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139
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McAfee A, Pettis JS, Tarpy DR, Foster LJ. Feminizer and doublesex knock-outs cause honey bees to switch sexes. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000256. [PMID: 31059510 PMCID: PMC6522059 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees are experts at refuting societal norms. Their matriarchal hives are headed by queens, backed by an all-female workforce, and males die soon after copulation. But the biochemical basis of how these distinct castes and sexes (queens, workers, and drones) arise is poorly understood, partly due to a lack of efficient tools for genetic manipulation. Now, Roth and colleagues have used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) to knock out two key genes (feminizer and doublesex) that guide sexual development. Their technique yielded remarkably low rates of genetic mosaicism and offers a promising tool for engineering and phenotyping bees for diverse applications. This Primer explores the implications of a new study that uses CRISPR gene editing to investigate genetic switches controlling sex determination in the honey bee, Apis mellifera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison McAfee
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jeffery S. Pettis
- Pettis and Associates, Salisbury, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David R. Tarpy
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Leonard J. Foster
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
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140
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Maori E, Garbian Y, Kunik V, Mozes-Koch R, Malka O, Kalev H, Sabath N, Sela I, Shafir S. A Transmissible RNA Pathway in Honey Bees. Cell Rep 2019; 27:1949-1959.e6. [PMID: 31056439 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Systemic RNAi, initiated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) ingestion, has been reported in diverse invertebrates, including honey bees, demonstrating environmental RNA uptake that undermines homologous gene expression. However, the question why any organism would take up RNA from the environment has remained largely unanswered. Here, we report on horizontal RNA flow among honey bees mediated by secretion and ingestion of worker and royal jelly diets. We demonstrate that transmission of jelly-secreted dsRNA to larvae is biologically active and triggers gene knockdown that lasts into adulthood. Worker and royal jellies harbor differential naturally occurring RNA populations. Jelly RNAs corresponded to honey bee protein-coding genes, transposable elements, and non-coding RNA, as well as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. These results reveal an inherent property of honey bees to share RNA among individuals and generations. Our findings suggest a transmissible RNA pathway, playing a role in social immunity and signaling between members of the hive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Maori
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
| | - Yael Garbian
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Vered Kunik
- Bioinformatics Consulting, 12 Hailanot Street, Gat-Rimon 4992000, Israel
| | - Rita Mozes-Koch
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Osnat Malka
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Haim Kalev
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Niv Sabath
- Department of Biochemistry, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Ilan Sela
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sharoni Shafir
- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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141
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Morandin C, Brendel VP, Sundström L, Helanterä H, Mikheyev AS. Changes in gene DNA methylation and expression networks accompany caste specialization and age-related physiological changes in a social insect. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:1975-1993. [PMID: 30809873 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Social insects provide systems for studying epigenetic regulation of phenotypes, particularly with respect to differentiation of reproductive and worker castes, which typically arise from a common genetic background. The role of gene expression in caste specialization has been extensively studied, but the role of DNA methylation remains controversial. Here, we perform well replicated, integrated analyses of DNA methylation and gene expression in brains of an ant (Formica exsecta) with distinct female castes using traditional approaches (tests of differential methylation) combined with a novel approach (analysis of co-expression and co-methylation networks). We found differences in expression and methylation profiles between workers and queens at different life stages, as well as some overlap between DNA methylation and expression at the functional level. Large portions of the transcriptome and methylome are organized into "modules" of genes, some significantly associated with phenotypic traits of castes and developmental stages. Several gene co-expression modules are preserved in co-methylation networks, consistent with possible regulation of caste-specific gene expression by DNA methylation. Surprisingly, brain co-expression modules were highly preserved when compared with a previous study that examined whole-body co-expression patterns in 16 ant species, suggesting that these modules are evolutionarily conserved and for specific functions in various tissues. Altogether, these results suggest that DNA methylation participates in regulation of caste specialization and age-related physiological changes in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Morandin
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Environmental and Marine Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Volker P Brendel
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.,Department of Computer Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Liselotte Sundström
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Alexander S Mikheyev
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan.,Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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142
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Abstract
The conference ‘The Many Faces of Epigenetics: Multidisciplinary Perspectives “over” Genetics’ was held in Oxford (6–8 December 2017) and offered a valuable window into the domain of Epigenetics and its promises. The workshop revealed that, among a wealth of discourses about Epigenetics, it is not so easy to decipher which discourses are to be trusted. Because Epigenetics is a rather old notion that has generated many debates and promises, defining precisely what has changed and where we are currently is a challenge in itself. Interestingly, the conference allowed debates beyond statements such as ‘If you don’t know the cause, you say it’s epigenetic’ (Deichmann 2016), pointing out that the lack of a precise definition of Epigenetics was no hindrance to the discussions. Finally, it highlighted the grounds of (dis)agreement among communities of natural and social scientists; but eventually the discussions showed that epigenetic tools open the path to new topics and challenges that are awaiting us.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola B Arimondo
- a Epigenetic Chemical Biology , Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR3523 , Paris , France
| | - Anouk Barberousse
- b Sciences, Normes, Démocratie, UMR 8011, CNRS & Sorbonne Université , Paris , France
| | - Gaëlle Pontarotti
- c Université Paris-Diderot/IHPST, CNRS & Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, UMR 8590 , Paris , France
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143
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Hinohara K, Polyak K. Intratumoral Heterogeneity: More Than Just Mutations. Trends Cell Biol 2019; 29:569-579. [PMID: 30987806 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Most human tumors are composed of genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous cancer cell populations, which poses a major challenge for the clinical management of cancer patients. Advances of single-cell technologies have allowed the profiling of tumors at unprecedented depth, which, in combination with newly developed computational tools, enable the dissection of tumor evolution with increasing precision. However, our understanding of mechanisms that regulate intratumoral heterogeneity and our ability to modulate it has been lagging behind. Recent data demonstrate that epigenetic regulators, including histone demethylases, may control the cell-to-cell variability of transcriptomes and chromatin profiles and they may modulate therapeutic responses via this function. Thus, the therapeutic targeting of epigenetic enzymes may be used to decrease intratumoral cellular heterogeneity and treatment resistance, when used in combination with other types of agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunihiko Hinohara
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kornelia Polyak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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144
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Comparative transcriptomics of social insect queen pheromones. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1593. [PMID: 30962449 PMCID: PMC6453924 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09567-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Queen pheromones are chemical signals that mediate reproductive division of labor in eusocial animals. Remarkably, queen pheromones are composed of identical or chemically similar compounds in some ants, wasps and bees, even though these taxa diverged >150MYA and evolved queens and workers independently. Here, we measure the transcriptomic consequences of experimental exposure to queen pheromones in workers from two ant and two bee species (genera: Lasius, Apis, Bombus), and test whether they are similar across species. Queen pheromone exposure affected transcription and splicing at many loci. Many genes responded consistently in multiple species, and the set of pheromone-sensitive genes was enriched for functions relating to lipid biosynthesis and transport, olfaction, production of cuticle, oogenesis, and histone (de)acetylation. Pheromone-sensitive genes tend to be evolutionarily ancient, positively selected, peripheral in the gene coexpression network, hypomethylated, and caste-specific in their expression. Our results reveal how queen pheromones achieve their effects, and suggest that ants and bees use similar genetic modules to achieve reproductive division of labor.
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145
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Hu H, Bezabih G, Feng M, Wei Q, Zhang X, Wu F, Meng L, Fang Y, Han B, Ma C, Li J. In-depth Proteome of the Hypopharyngeal Glands of Honeybee Workers Reveals Highly Activated Protein and Energy Metabolism in Priming the Secretion of Royal Jelly. Mol Cell Proteomics 2019; 18:606-621. [PMID: 30617159 PMCID: PMC6442370 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra118.001257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Royal jelly (RJ) is a secretion of the hypopharyngeal glands (HGs) of honeybee workers. High royal jelly producing bees (RJBs), a stock of honeybees selected from Italian bees (ITBs), have developed a stronger ability to produce RJ than ITBs. However, the mechanism underpinning the high RJ-producing performance in RJBs is still poorly understood. We have comprehensively characterized and compared the proteome across the life span of worker bees between the ITBs and RJBs. Our data uncover distinct molecular landscapes that regulate the gland ontogeny and activity corresponding with age-specific tasks. Nurse bees (NBs) have a well-developed acini morphology and cytoskeleton of secretory cells in HGs to prime the gland activities of RJ secretion. In RJB NBs, pathways involved in protein synthesis and energy metabolism are functionally induced to cement the enhanced RJ secretion compared with ITBs. In behavior-manipulated RJB NBs, the strongly expressed proteins implicated in protein synthesis and energy metabolism further demonstrate their critical roles in the regulation of RJ secretion. Our findings provide a novel understanding of the mechanism consolidating the high RJ-output in RJBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Hu
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Gebreamlak Bezabih
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Mao Feng
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Qiaohong Wei
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Xufeng Zhang
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Fan Wu
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Lifeng Meng
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Yu Fang
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Bin Han
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Chuan Ma
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Jianke Li
- From the ‡ Institute of Apicultural Research/Key Laboratory of Pollinating Insect Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 1 Beigou Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China.
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146
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Lannes R, Rizzon C, Lerat E. Does the Presence of Transposable Elements Impact the Epigenetic Environment of Human Duplicated Genes? Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10030249. [PMID: 30917603 PMCID: PMC6470583 DOI: 10.3390/genes10030249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications have an important role to explain part of the intra- and inter-species variation in gene expression. They also have a role in the control of transposable elements (TEs) whose activity may have a significant impact on genome evolution by promoting various mutations, which are expected to be mostly deleterious. A change in the local epigenetic landscape associated with the presence of TEs is expected to affect the expression of neighboring genes since these modifications occurring at TE sequences can spread to neighboring sequences. In this work, we have studied how the epigenetic modifications of genes are conserved and what the role of TEs is in this conservation. For that, we have compared the conservation of the epigenome associated with human duplicated genes and the differential presence of TEs near these genes. Our results show higher epigenome conservation of duplicated genes from the same family when they share similar TE environment, suggesting a role for the differential presence of TEs in the evolutionary divergence of duplicates through variation in the epigenetic landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Lannes
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Carène Rizzon
- Laboratoire de Mathématiques et Modélisation d'Evry (LaMME), Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne, UMR CNRS 8071, ENSIIE, USC INRA, 23 bvd de France, 91037, Evry CEDEX Paris, France.
| | - Emmanuelle Lerat
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.
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147
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Roth A, Vleurinck C, Netschitailo O, Bauer V, Otte M, Kaftanoglu O, Page RE, Beye M. A genetic switch for worker nutrition-mediated traits in honeybees. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000171. [PMID: 30897091 PMCID: PMC6428258 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Highly social insects are characterized by caste dimorphism, with distinct size differences of reproductive organs between fertile queens and the more or less sterile workers. An abundance of nutrition or instruction via diet-specific compounds has been proposed as explanations for the nutrition-driven queen and worker polyphenism. Here, we further explored these models in the honeybee (Apis mellifera) using worker nutrition rearing and a novel mutational screening approach using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) method. The worker nutrition-driven size reduction of reproductive organs was restricted to the female sex, suggesting input from the sex determination pathway. Genetic screens on the sex determination genes in genetic females for size polyphenism revealed that doublesex (dsx) mutants display size-reduced reproductive organs irrespective of the sexual morphology of the organ tissue. In contrast, feminizer (fem) mutants lost the response to worker nutrition-driven size control. The first morphological worker mutants in honeybees demonstrate that the response to nutrition relies on a genetic program that is switched “ON” by the fem gene. Thus, the genetic instruction provided by the fem gene provides an entry point to genetically dissect the underlying processes that implement the size polyphenism. In honeybees, nutrition drives dimorphic size development of reproductive organs in fertile queens and sterile workers. A study using the first induced morphological mutants in honeybees demonstrates that this developmental plasticity requires a genetic program that is switched on by the “feminizer” gene. In honeybees, nutrition drives dimorphic size development of reproductive organs in fertile queens and sterile workers. The first induced morphological mutants in honeybees demonstrate that this developmental plasticity requires a genetic program that is switched “ON” by the feminizer (fem) gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Roth
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christina Vleurinck
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Oksana Netschitailo
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Vivien Bauer
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marianne Otte
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Osman Kaftanoglu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Robert E. Page
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Martin Beye
- Institute of Evolutionary Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Dusseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- * E-mail:
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148
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DNA Methylation Patterns in the Round Goby Hypothalamus Support an On-The-Spot Decision Scenario for Territorial Behavior. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10030219. [PMID: 30875862 PMCID: PMC6471186 DOI: 10.3390/genes10030219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The question as to how early life experiences are stored on a molecular level and affect traits later in life is highly topical in ecology, medicine, and epigenetics. In this study, we use a fish model to investigate whether DNA methylation mediates early life experiences and predetermines a territorial male reproductive phenotype. In fish, adult reproductive phenotypes frequently depend on previous life experiences and are often associated with distinct morphological traits. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism which is both sensitive to environmental conditions and stably inherited across cell divisions. We therefore investigate early life predisposition in the round goby Neogobius melanostomus by growth back-calculations and then study DNA methylation by MBD-Seq in the brain region controlling vertebrate reproductive behavior, the hypothalamus. We find a link between the territorial reproductive phenotype and high growth rates in the first year of life. However, hypothalamic DNA methylation patterns reflect the current behavioral status independently of early life experiences. Together, our data suggest a non-predetermination scenario in the round goby, in which indeterminate males progress to a non-territorial status in the spawning season, and in which some males then assume a specialized territorial phenotype if current conditions are favorable.
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149
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Liu PC, Tian S, Hao DJ. Sexual Transcription Differences in Brachymeria lasus (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), a Pupal Parasitoid Species of Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). Front Genet 2019; 10:172. [PMID: 30891067 PMCID: PMC6411638 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in gene expression have been extensively documented, but little is known about these differences in parasitoid species that are widely applied to control pests. Brachymeria lasus is a solitary parasitoid species and has been evaluated as a potential candidate for release to control Lymantria dispar. In this study, gender differences in B. lasus were investigated using Illumina-based transcriptomic analysis. The resulting 37,453 unigene annotations provided a large amount of useful data for molecular studies of B. lasus. A total of 1416 differentially expressed genes were identified between females and males, and the majority of the sex-biased genes were female biased. Gene Ontology (GO) and Pathway enrichment analyses showed that (1) the functional categories DNA replication, fatty acid biosynthesis, and metabolism were enhanced in females and that (2) the only pathway enriched in males was phototransduction, while the GO subcategories enriched in males were those involved in membrane and ion transport. In addition, thirteen genes involving transient receptor potential (TRP) channels were annotated in B. lasus. We further explored and discussed the functions of TRPs in sensory signaling of light and temperature. In general, this study provides new molecular insights into the biological and sexually dimorphic traits of parasitoids, which may improve the application of these insects to the biological control of pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Cheng Liu
- Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- The College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuo Tian
- Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- The College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - De-Jun Hao
- Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- The College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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150
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Potential antimicrobial activity of honey phenolic compounds against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2018.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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