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Chen S, Liu S, Shi S, Yin H, Tang Y, Zhang J, Li W, Liu G, Qu K, Ding X, Wang Y, Liu J, Zhang S, Fang L, Yu Y. Cross-Species Comparative DNA Methylation Reveals Novel Insights into Complex Trait Genetics among Cattle, Sheep, and Goats. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae003. [PMID: 38266195 PMCID: PMC10834038 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The cross-species characterization of evolutionary changes in the functional genome can facilitate the translation of genetic findings across species and the interpretation of the evolutionary basis underlying complex phenotypes. Yet, this has not been fully explored between cattle, sheep, goats, and other mammals. Here, we systematically characterized the evolutionary dynamics of DNA methylation and gene expression in 3 somatic tissues (i.e. brain, liver, and skeletal muscle) and sperm across 7 mammalian species, including 3 ruminant livestock species (cattle, sheep, and goats), humans, pigs, mice, and dogs, by generating and integrating 160 DNA methylation and transcriptomic data sets. We demonstrate dynamic changes of DNA hypomethylated regions and hypermethylated regions in tissue-type manner across cattle, sheep, and goats. Specifically, based on the phylo-epigenetic model of DNA methylome, we identified a total of 25,074 hypomethylated region extension events specific to cattle, which participated in rewiring tissue-specific regulatory network. Furthermore, by integrating genome-wide association studies of 50 cattle traits, we provided novel insights into the genetic and evolutionary basis of complex phenotypes in cattle. Overall, our study provides a valuable resource for exploring the evolutionary dynamics of the functional genome and highlights the importance of cross-species characterization of multiomics data sets for the evolutionary interpretation of complex phenotypes in cattle livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqian Chen
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shuli Liu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Shaolei Shi
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hongwei Yin
- Agriculture Genome Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Yongjie Tang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jinning Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Gang Liu
- National Animal Husbandry Service, Beijing 100125, China
| | - Kaixing Qu
- Academy of Science and Technology, Chuxiong Normal University, Chuxiong 675000, China
| | - Xiangdong Ding
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yachun Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics (QGG), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ying Yu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Staes N, Guevara EE, Hopkins WD, Schapiro SJ, Eens M, Sherwood CC, Bradley BJ. The Role of Serotonergic Gene Methylation in Regulating Anxiety-Related Personality Traits in Chimpanzees. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:1673. [PMID: 36421387 PMCID: PMC9687614 DOI: 10.3390/biology11111673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
While low serotonergic activity is often associated with psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, mood, and personality disorders, variations in serotonin also contribute to normal personality differences. In this study, we investigated the role of blood DNA methylation levels at individual CpG sites of two key serotonergic genes (serotonin receptor gene 1A, HTR1A; serotonin transporter gene, SLC6A4) in predicting the personalities of captive chimpanzees. We found associations between methylation at 9/48 CpG sites with four personality dimensions: Dominance, Reactivity/Dependability, Agreeableness, and Openness. Directionality of effects were CpG location-dependent and confirmed a role of serotonergic methylation in reducing anxiety (Dominance) and aggression-related personality (Reactivity/Undependability) while simultaneously promoting prosocial (Agreeableness) and exploratory personalities (Openness). Although early-life adversity has been shown to impact serotonergic methylation patterns in other species, here, atypical early social rearing experiences only had a modest impact on CpG methylation levels in this chimpanzee sample. The precise environmental factors impacting serotonergic methylation in chimpanzees remain to be identified. Nevertheless, our study suggests a role in shaping natural variation in animal personalities. The results of this study offer a basis for future hypothesis-driven testing in additional populations and species to better understand the impact of ecology and evolution on complex behavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Staes
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elaine E. Guevara
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| | - Steven J. Schapiro
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Brenda J. Bradley
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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Zhou W, Hinoue T, Barnes B, Mitchell O, Iqbal W, Lee SM, Foy KK, Lee KH, Moyer EJ, VanderArk A, Koeman JM, Ding W, Kalkat M, Spix NJ, Eagleson B, Pospisilik JA, Szabó PE, Bartolomei MS, Vander Schaaf NA, Kang L, Wiseman AK, Jones PA, Krawczyk CM, Adams M, Porecha R, Chen BH, Shen H, Laird PW. DNA methylation dynamics and dysregulation delineated by high-throughput profiling in the mouse. CELL GENOMICS 2022; 2:100144. [PMID: 35873672 PMCID: PMC9306256 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a mouse DNA methylation array that contains 296,070 probes representing the diversity of mouse DNA methylation biology. We present a mouse methylation atlas as a rich reference resource of 1,239 DNA samples encompassing distinct tissues, strains, ages, sexes, and pathologies. We describe applications for comparative epigenomics, genomic imprinting, epigenetic inhibitors, patient-derived xenograft assessment, backcross tracing, and epigenetic clocks. We dissect DNA methylation processes associated with differentiation, aging, and tumorigenesis. Notably, we find that tissue-specific methylation signatures localize to binding sites for transcription factors controlling the corresponding tissue development. Age-associated hypermethylation is enriched at regions of Polycomb repression, while hypomethylation is enhanced at regions bound by cohesin complex members. Apc Min/+ polyp-associated hypermethylation affects enhancers regulating intestinal differentiation, while hypomethylation targets AP-1 binding sites. This Infinium Mouse Methylation BeadChip (version MM285) is widely accessible to the research community and will accelerate high-sample-throughput studies in this important model organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanding Zhou
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Toshinori Hinoue
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Bret Barnes
- Illumina, Inc., Bioinformatics and Instrument Software Department, San Diego, CA 92122, USA
| | - Owen Mitchell
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Waleed Iqbal
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sol Moe Lee
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kelly K. Foy
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Kwang-Ho Lee
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Ethan J. Moyer
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alexandra VanderArk
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Julie M. Koeman
- Genomics Core, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Wubin Ding
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Manpreet Kalkat
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Nathan J. Spix
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Bryn Eagleson
- Vivarium and Transgenics Core, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | | | - Piroska E. Szabó
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Marisa S. Bartolomei
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Liang Kang
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Ashley K. Wiseman
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Peter A. Jones
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Connie M. Krawczyk
- Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Marie Adams
- Genomics Core, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Rishi Porecha
- Illumina, Inc., Bioinformatics and Instrument Software Department, San Diego, CA 92122, USA
| | | | - Hui Shen
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Peter W. Laird
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
- Corresponding author
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Kostiniuk D, Tamminen H, Mishra PP, Marttila S, Raitoharju E. Methylation pattern of polymorphically imprinted nc886 is not conserved across mammalia. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261481. [PMID: 35294436 PMCID: PMC8926257 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In humans, the nc886 locus is a polymorphically imprinted metastable epiallele. Periconceptional conditions have an effect on the methylation status of nc886, and further, this methylation status is associated with health outcomes in later life, in line with the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis. Animal models would offer opportunities to study the associations between periconceptional conditions, nc886 methylation status and metabolic phenotypes further. Thus, we set out to investigate the methylation pattern of the nc886 locus in non-human mammals. Data We obtained DNA methylation data from the data repository GEO for mammals, whose nc886 gene included all three major parts of nc886 and had sequency similarity of over 80% with the human nc886. Our final sample set consisted of DNA methylation data from humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutangs, baboons, macaques, vervets, marmosets and guinea pigs. Results In human data sets the methylation pattern of nc886 locus followed the expected bimodal distribution, indicative of polymorphic imprinting. In great apes, we identified a unimodal DNA methylation pattern with 50% methylation level in all individuals and in all subspecies. In Old World monkeys, the between individual variation was greater and methylation on average was close to 60%. In guinea pigs the region around the nc886 homologue was non-methylated. Results obtained from the sequence comparison of the CTCF binding sites flanking the nc886 gene support the results on the DNA methylation data. Conclusions Our results indicate that unlike in humans, nc886 is not a polymorphically imprinted metastable epiallele in non-human primates or in guinea pigs, thus implying that animal models are not applicable for nc886 research. The obtained data suggests that the nc886 region may be classically imprinted in great apes, and potentially also in Old World monkeys, but not in guinea pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Kostiniuk
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Hely Tamminen
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Pashupati P. Mishra
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Finnish Cardiovascular Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere, Finland
| | - Saara Marttila
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Gerontology Research Center, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Emma Raitoharju
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Finnish Cardiovascular Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
- * E-mail:
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5
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Housman G, Briscoe E, Gilad Y. Evolutionary insights into primate skeletal gene regulation using a comparative cell culture model. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010073. [PMID: 35263340 PMCID: PMC8936463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of complex skeletal traits in primates was likely influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Because skeletal tissues are notoriously challenging to study using functional genomic approaches, they remain poorly characterized even in humans, let alone across multiple species. The challenges involved in obtaining functional genomic data from the skeleton, combined with the difficulty of obtaining such tissues from nonhuman apes, motivated us to consider an alternative in vitro system with which to comparatively study gene regulation in skeletal cell types. Specifically, we differentiated six human (Homo sapiens) and six chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) induced pluripotent stem cell lines (iPSCs) into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and subsequently into osteogenic cells (bone cells). We validated differentiation using standard methods and collected single-cell RNA sequencing data from over 100,000 cells across multiple samples and replicates at each stage of differentiation. While most genes that we examined display conserved patterns of expression across species, hundreds of genes are differentially expressed (DE) between humans and chimpanzees within and across stages of osteogenic differentiation. Some of these interspecific DE genes show functional enrichments relevant in skeletal tissue trait development. Moreover, topic modeling indicates that interspecific gene programs become more pronounced as cells mature. Overall, we propose that this in vitro model can be used to identify interspecific regulatory differences that may have contributed to skeletal trait differences between species. Primates display a range of skeletal morphologies and susceptibilities to skeletal diseases, but the molecular basis of these phenotypic differences is unclear. Studies of gene expression variation in primate skeletal tissues are extremely restricted due to the ethical and practical challenges associated with collecting samples. Nevertheless, the ability to study gene regulation in primate skeletal tissues is crucial for understanding how the primate skeleton has evolved. We therefore developed a comparative primate skeletal cell culture model that allows us to access a spectrum of human and chimpanzee cell types as they differentiate from stem cells into bone cells. While most gene expression patterns are conserved across species, we also identified hundreds of differentially expressed genes between humans and chimpanzees within and across stages of differentiation. We also classified cells by osteogenic stage and identified additional interspecific differentially expressed genes which may contribute to skeletal trait differences. We anticipate that this model will be extremely useful for exploring questions related to gene regulation variation in primate bone biology and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Housman
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Emilie Briscoe
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Yoav Gilad
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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6
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Malukiewicz J, Boere V, de Oliveira MAB, D'arc M, Ferreira JVA, French J, Housman G, de Souza CI, Jerusalinsky L, R de Melo F, M Valença-Montenegro M, Moreira SB, de Oliveira E Silva I, Pacheco FS, Rogers J, Pissinatti A, Del Rosario RCH, Ross C, Ruiz-Miranda CR, Pereira LCM, Schiel N, de Fátima Rodrigues da Silva F, Souto A, Šlipogor V, Tardif S. An Introduction to the Callithrix Genus and Overview of Recent Advances in Marmoset Research. ILAR J 2021; 61:110-138. [PMID: 34933341 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We provide here a current overview of marmoset (Callithrix) evolution, hybridization, species biology, basic/biomedical research, and conservation initiatives. Composed of 2 subgroups, the aurita group (C aurita and C flaviceps) and the jacchus group (C geoffroyi, C jacchus, C kuhlii, and C penicillata), this relatively young primate radiation is endemic to the Brazilian Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest biomes. Significant impacts on Callithrix within these biomes resulting from anthropogenic activity include (1) population declines, particularly for the aurita group; (2) widespread geographic displacement, biological invasions, and range expansions of C jacchus and C penicillata; (3) anthropogenic hybridization; and (4) epizootic Yellow Fever and Zika viral outbreaks. A number of Brazilian legal and conservation initiatives are now in place to protect the threatened aurita group and increase research about them. Due to their small size and rapid life history, marmosets are prized biomedical models. As a result, there are increasingly sophisticated genomic Callithrix resources available and burgeoning marmoset functional, immuno-, and epigenomic research. In both the laboratory and the wild, marmosets have given us insight into cognition, social group dynamics, human disease, and pregnancy. Callithrix jacchus and C penicillata are emerging neotropical primate models for arbovirus disease, including Dengue and Zika. Wild marmoset populations are helping us understand sylvatic transmission and human spillover of Zika and Yellow Fever viruses. All of these factors are positioning marmosets as preeminent models to facilitate understanding of facets of evolution, hybridization, conservation, human disease, and emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Malukiewicz
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Vanner Boere
- Institute of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, Federal University of Southern Bahia, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil
| | | | - Mirela D'arc
- Department of Genetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jéssica V A Ferreira
- Centro de Conservação e Manejo de Fauna da Caatinga, UNIVASF, Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Jeffrey French
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | | | | | - Leandro Jerusalinsky
- Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Primatas Brasileiros (ICMBio/CPB), Cabedelo, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Fabiano R de Melo
- Department of Forest Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Centro de Conservação dos Saguis-da-Serra, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mônica M Valença-Montenegro
- Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Primatas Brasileiros (ICMBio/CPB), Cabedelo, Paraíba, Brazil
| | | | - Ita de Oliveira E Silva
- Institute of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, Federal University of Southern Bahia, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Felipe Santos Pacheco
- Centro de Conservação dos Saguis-da-Serra, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Post-Graduate Program in Animal Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jeffrey Rogers
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Alcides Pissinatti
- Centro de Primatologia do Rio de Janeiro, Guapimirim, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo C H Del Rosario
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Corinna Ross
- Science and Mathematics, Texas A&M University San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Southwest National Primate Research Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Carlos R Ruiz-Miranda
- Laboratory of Environmental Sciences, Center for Biosciences and Biotechnology, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luiz C M Pereira
- Centro de Conservação e Manejo de Fauna da Caatinga, UNIVASF, Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Nicola Schiel
- Department of Biology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Antonio Souto
- Department of Zoology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Vedrana Šlipogor
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Suzette Tardif
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Southwest National Primate Research Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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7
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Housman G, Quillen EE, Stone AC. An evolutionary perspective of DNA methylation patterns in skeletal tissues using a baboon model of osteoarthritis. J Orthop Res 2021; 39:2260-2269. [PMID: 33325553 PMCID: PMC8206284 DOI: 10.1002/jor.24957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation, play an influential role in the development of the degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis (OA). These molecular mechanisms have been heavily studied in humans, and although OA affects several other animals in addition to humans, few efforts have taken an evolutionary perspective. This study explores the evolution of OA epigenetics by assessing the relationship between DNA methylation variation and knee OA development in baboons (Papio spp.) and by comparing these findings to human OA epigenetic associations. Genome-wide DNA methylation patterns were identified in bone and cartilage of the right distal femora from 56 pedigreed, adult baboons (28 with and 28 without knee OA) using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip. Several significantly differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and regions were found between tissue types. Substantial OA-related differential methylation was also identified in cartilage, but not in bone, suggesting that cartilage epigenetics may be more influential in OA than bone epigenetics. Additionally, some genes containing OA-related DMPs overlap with and display methylation patterns similar to those previously identified in human OA, revealing a mixture of evolutionarily conserved and divergent OA-related methylation patterns in primates. Overall, these findings reinforce the current etiological perspectives of OA and enhance our evolutionary understanding of epigenetic mechanisms associated with OA. This study further establishes baboons as a valuable nonhuman primate model of OA, and continued investigations in baboons will help to disentangle the molecular mechanisms contributing to OA and their evolutionary histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Housman
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Corresponding author: Genevieve Housman, Section of Genetic Medicine, University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, CLSC 317, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Phone: 574-206-6564. Fax: 773-834-8470.
| | - Ellen E. Quillen
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Anne C. Stone
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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8
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Guevara EE, Hopkins WD, Hof PR, Ely JJ, Bradley BJ, Sherwood CC. Comparative analysis reveals distinctive epigenetic features of the human cerebellum. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009506. [PMID: 33956822 PMCID: PMC8101944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the molecular underpinnings of the neural specializations that underlie human cognitive and behavioral traits has long been of considerable interest. Much research on human-specific changes in gene expression and epigenetic marks has focused on the prefrontal cortex, a brain structure distinguished by its role in executive functions. The cerebellum shows expansion in great apes and is gaining increasing attention for its role in motor skills and cognitive processing, including language. However, relatively few molecular studies of the cerebellum in a comparative evolutionary context have been conducted. Here, we identify human-specific methylation in the lateral cerebellum relative to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, in a comparative study with chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Specifically, we profiled genome-wide methylation levels in the three species for each of the two brain structures and identified human-specific differentially methylated genomic regions unique to each structure. We further identified which differentially methylated regions (DMRs) overlap likely regulatory elements and determined whether associated genes show corresponding species differences in gene expression. We found greater human-specific methylation in the cerebellum than the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, with differentially methylated regions overlapping genes involved in several conditions or processes relevant to human neurobiology, including synaptic plasticity, lipid metabolism, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, and neurodevelopment, including developmental disorders. Moreover, our results show some overlap with those of previous studies focused on the neocortex, indicating that such results may be common to multiple brain structures. These findings further our understanding of the cerebellum in human brain evolution. Humans are distinguished from other species by several aspects of cognition. While much comparative evolutionary neuroscience has focused on the neocortex, increasing recognition of the cerebellum’s role in cognition and motor processing has inspired considerable new research. Comparative molecular studies, however, generally continue to focus on the neocortex. We sought to characterize potential genetic regulatory traits distinguishing the human cerebellum by undertaking genome-wide epigenetic profiling of the lateral cerebellum, and compared this to the prefrontal cortex of humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaque monkeys. We found that humans showed greater differential CpG methylation–an epigenetic modification of DNA that can reflect past or present gene expression–in the cerebellum than the prefrontal cortex, highlighting the importance of this structure in human brain evolution. Humans also specifically show methylation differences at genes involved in neurodevelopment, neuroinflammation, synaptic plasticity, and lipid metabolism. These differences are relevant for understanding processes specific to humans, such as extensive plasticity, as well as pronounced and prevalent neurodegenerative conditions associated with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine E. Guevara
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, United States of America
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - John J. Ely
- MAEBIOS, Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Brenda J. Bradley
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
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Mathov Y, Batyrev D, Meshorer E, Carmel L. Harnessing epigenetics to study human evolution. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 62:23-29. [PMID: 32574964 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in ancient DNA extraction and high-throughput sequencing technologies enabled the high-quality sequencing of archaic genomes, including the Neanderthal and the Denisovan. While comparisons with modern humans revealed both archaic-specific and human-specific sequence changes, in the absence of gene expression information, understanding the functional implications of such genetic variations remains a major challenge. To study gene regulation in archaic humans, epigenetic research comes to our aid. DNA methylation, which is highly correlated with transcription, can be directly measured in modern samples, as well as reconstructed in ancient samples. This puts DNA methylation as a natural basis for comparative epigenetics between modern humans, archaic humans and nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoav Mathov
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190400, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190400, Israel
| | - Daniel Batyrev
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190400, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190400, Israel
| | - Eran Meshorer
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190400, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190400, Israel.
| | - Liran Carmel
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190400, Israel.
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Housman G, Gilad Y. Prime time for primate functional genomics. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 62:1-7. [PMID: 32544775 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Functional genomics research is continually improving our understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships in humans, and comparative genomics perspectives can provide additional insight into the evolutionary histories of such relationships. To specifically identify conservation or species-specific divergence in humans, we must look to our closest extant evolutionary relatives. Primate functional genomics research has been steadily advancing and expanding, in spite of several limitations and challenges that this field faces. New technologies and cheaper sequencing provide a unique opportunity to enhance and expand primate comparative studies, and we outline possible paths going forward. The potential human-specific insights that can be gained from primate functional genomics research are substantial, and we propose that now is a prime time to expand such endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Housman
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., N417, MC6091, Chicago, IL 60637 USA.
| | - Yoav Gilad
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., N417, MC6091, Chicago, IL 60637 USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Cummings Life Science Center, 928 E. 58th St., Chicago, IL 60637 USA
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