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Djihinto OY, Meacci D, Medjigodo AA, Bernardini F, Djogbénou LS. Relative expression of key genes involved in nucleic acids methylation in Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:754-766. [PMID: 37417368 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates, enzymes responsible for DNA methylation, one of the epigenetic mechanisms, are encoded by genes falling into the cytosine methyltransferases genes family (Dnmt1, Dnmt3a,b and Dnmt3L). However, in Diptera, only the methyltransferase Dnmt2 was found, suggesting that DNA methylation might act differently for species in this order. Moreover, genes involved in epigenetic dynamics, such as Ten-eleven Translocation dioxygenases (TET) and Methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBDs), present in vertebrates, might play a role in insects. This work aimed at investigating nucleic acids methylation in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) by analysing the expression of Dnmt2, TET2 and MBDs genes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) at pre-immature stages and in reproductive tissues of adult mosquitoes. In addition, the effect of two DNA methylation inhibitors on larval survival was evaluated. The qPCR results showed an overall low expression of Dnmt2 at all developmental stages and in adult reproductive tissues. In contrast, MBD and TET2 showed an overall higher expression. In adult mosquito reproductive tissues, the expression level of the three genes in males' testes was significantly higher than that in females' ovaries. The chemical treatments did not affect larval survival. The findings suggest that mechanisms other than DNA methylation underlie epigenetic regulation in An. gambiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oswald Y Djihinto
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research Centre (TIDRC), University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Dario Meacci
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - Adandé A Medjigodo
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research Centre (TIDRC), University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Federica Bernardini
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - Luc S Djogbénou
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research Centre (TIDRC), University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
- Institut Régional de Santé Publique (IRSP), University of Abomey-Calavi, Ouidah, Benin
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Renard T, Gueydan C, Aron S. DNA methylation and expression of the egfr gene are associated with worker size in monomorphic ants. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21228. [PMID: 36481802 PMCID: PMC9732050 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25675-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive division of labour is a hallmark of eusocial Hymenoptera. Females are either reproductive queens or non-reproductive workers. In ants, workers often display further task specialisation that is associated with variation in size and/or morphology. Because female polyphenism is typically under environmental control, it is thought epigenetic mechanisms (such as DNA methylation) play a central role since they mediate gene-by-environment interactions. Methylation of the growth-promoting gene epidermal growth factor receptor (egfr) was indeed shown to control worker size in a highly polymorphic ant. However, it remains unknown if egfr methylation could also regulate worker size in monomorphic species. By combining experimental pharmacology and molecular biology, we show that worker size is associated with egfr methylation in two monomorphic ants. Furthermore, we functionally demonstrate that EGFR signalling affects worker size. These results indicate that worker size regulation by egfr methylation has been mechanistically conserved in ants but remains unexploited in monomorphic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Renard
- grid.4989.c0000 0001 2348 0746Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cyril Gueydan
- grid.4989.c0000 0001 2348 0746Molecular Biology of the Gene, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Rue Prof. Jeener et Brachet, 12, 6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Serge Aron
- grid.4989.c0000 0001 2348 0746Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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Aigner GP, Nenning P, Fiechtner B, Šrut M, Höckner M. DNA Methylation and Detoxification in the Earthworm Lumbricus terrestris Exposed to Cadmium and the DNA Demethylation Agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. TOXICS 2022; 10:100. [PMID: 35202286 PMCID: PMC8879108 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10020100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Earthworms are well-established model organisms for testing the effects of heavy metal pollution. How DNA methylation affects cadmium (Cd) detoxification processes such as the expression of metallothionein 2 (MT2), however, is largely unknown. We therefore exposed Lumbricus terrestris to 200 mg concentrations of Cd and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (Aza), a demethylating agent, and sampled tissue and coelomocytes, cells of the innate immune system, for 48 h. MT2 transcription significantly increased in the Cd- and Cd-Aza-treated groups. In tissue samples, a significant decrease in MT2 in the Aza-treated group was detected, showing that Aza treatment inhibits basal MT2 gene activity but has no effect on Cd-induced MT2 levels. Although Cd repressed the gene expression of DNA-(cytosine-5)-methyltransferase-1 (DNMT1), which is responsible for maintaining DNA methylation, DNMT activity was unchanged, meaning that methylation maintenance was not affected in coelomocytes. The treatment did not influence DNMT3, which mediates de novo methylation, TET gene expression, which orchestrates demethylation, and global levels of hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), a product of the demethylation process. Taken together, this study indicates that Aza inhibits basal gene activity, in contrast to Cd-induced MT2 gene expression, but does not affect global DNA methylation. We therefore conclude that Cd detoxification based on the induction of MT2 does not relate to DNA methylation changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Martina Höckner
- Department of Zoology, Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (G.P.A.); (P.N.); (B.F.); (M.Š.)
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Phenotypic Plasticity: What Has DNA Methylation Got to Do with It? INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13020110. [PMID: 35206684 PMCID: PMC8878681 DOI: 10.3390/insects13020110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
How does one genome give rise to multiple, often markedly different, phenotypes in response to an environmental cue? This phenomenon, known as phenotypic plasticity, is common amongst plants and animals, but arguably the most striking examples are seen in insects. Well-known insect examples include seasonal morphs of butterfly wing patterns, sexual and asexual reproduction in aphids, and queen and worker castes of eusocial insects. Ultimately, we need to understand how phenotypic plasticity works at a mechanistic level; how do environmental signals alter gene expression, and how are changes in gene expression translated into novel morphology, physiology and behaviour? Understanding how plasticity works is of major interest in evolutionary-developmental biology and may have implications for understanding how insects respond to global change. It has been proposed that epigenetic mechanisms, specifically DNA methylation, are the key link between environmental cues and changes in gene expression. Here, we review the available evidence on the function of DNA methylation of insects, the possible role(s) for DNA methylation in phenotypic plasticity and also highlight key outstanding questions in this field as well as new experimental approaches to address these questions.
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Xu G, Lyu H, Yi Y, Peng Y, Feng Q, Song Q, Gong C, Peng X, Palli SR, Zheng S. Intragenic DNA methylation regulates insect gene expression and reproduction through the MBD/Tip60 complex. iScience 2021; 24:102040. [PMID: 33521602 PMCID: PMC7820559 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification. However, the regulations and functions of insect intragenic DNA methylation remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a regulatory mechanism involving intragenic DNA methylation controls ovarian and embryonic developmental processes in Bombyx mori. In B. mori, DNA methylation is found near the transcription start site (TSS) of ovarian genes. By promoter activity analysis, we observed that 5′ UTR methylation enhances gene expression. Moreover, methyl-DNA-binding domain protein 2/3 (MBD2/3) binds to the intragenic methyl-CpG fragment and recruits acetyltransferase Tip60 to promote histone H3K27 acetylation and gene expression. Additionally, genome-wide analyses showed that the peak of H3K27 acetylation appears near the TSS of methyl-modified genes, and DNA methylation is enriched in genes involved in protein synthesis in the B. mori ovary, with MBD2/3 knockdown resulting in decreased fecundity. These data uncover a mechanism of gene body methylation for regulating insect gene expression and reproduction. Insect intragenic 5mC enhances gene expression through histone H3K27 acetylation MBD2/3 binds the intragenic 5mC and recruits Tip60 to promote H3K27 acetylation Intragenic 5mCs modify protein synthesis-related genes in insect ovaries The intragenic 5mC plays a role in insect reproduction
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanfeng Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.,Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Hao Lyu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.,Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yangqin Yi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.,Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yuling Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.,Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Qili Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.,Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Qisheng Song
- Division of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Chengcheng Gong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.,Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xuezhen Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.,Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Subba Reddy Palli
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Sichun Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.,Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Insect Development Regulation and Applied Research, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
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Lezcano ÓM, Sánchez-Polo M, Ruiz JL, Gómez-Díaz E. Chromatin Structure and Function in Mosquitoes. Front Genet 2020; 11:602949. [PMID: 33365050 PMCID: PMC7750206 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.602949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The principles and function of chromatin and nuclear architecture have been extensively studied in model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster. However, little is known about the role of these epigenetic processes in transcriptional regulation in other insects including mosquitoes, which are major disease vectors and a worldwide threat for human health. Some of these life-threatening diseases are malaria, which is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes; dengue fever, which is caused by an arbovirus mainly transmitted by Aedes aegypti; and West Nile fever, which is caused by an arbovirus transmitted by Culex spp. In this contribution, we review what is known about chromatin-associated mechanisms and the 3D genome structure in various mosquito vectors, including Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex spp. We also discuss the similarities between epigenetic mechanisms in mosquitoes and the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, and advocate that the field could benefit from the cross-application of state-of-the-art functional genomic technologies that are well-developed in the fruit fly. Uncovering the mosquito regulatory genome can lead to the discovery of unique regulatory networks associated with the parasitic life-style of these insects. It is also critical to understand the molecular interactions between the vectors and the pathogens that they transmit, which could hold the key to major breakthroughs on the fight against mosquito-borne diseases. Finally, it is clear that epigenetic mechanisms controlling mosquito environmental plasticity and evolvability are also of utmost importance, particularly in the current context of globalization and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - José L. Ruiz
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain
| | - Elena Gómez-Díaz
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain
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Pannebakker BA, Cook N, van den Heuvel J, van de Zande L, Shuker DM. Genomics of sex allocation in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:499. [PMID: 32689940 PMCID: PMC7372847 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06904-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whilst adaptive facultative sex allocation has been widely studied at the phenotypic level across a broad range of organisms, we still know remarkably little about its genetic architecture. Here, we explore the genome-wide basis of sex ratio variation in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis, perhaps the best studied organism in terms of sex allocation, and well known for its response to local mate competition. RESULTS We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for single foundress sex ratios using iso-female lines derived from the recently developed outbred N. vitripennis laboratory strain HVRx. The iso-female lines capture a sample of the genetic variation in HVRx and we present them as the first iteration of the Nasonia vitripennis Genome Reference Panel (NVGRP 1.0). This panel provides an assessment of the standing genetic variation for sex ratio in the study population. Using the NVGRP, we discovered a cluster of 18 linked SNPs, encompassing 9 annotated loci associated with sex ratio variation. Furthermore, we found evidence that sex ratio has a shared genetic basis with clutch size on three different chromosomes. CONCLUSIONS Our approach provides a thorough description of the quantitative genetic basis of sex ratio variation in Nasonia at the genome level and reveals a number of inter-related candidate loci underlying sex allocation regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart A Pannebakker
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Nicola Cook
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Joost van den Heuvel
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Louis van de Zande
- Evolutionary Genetics, Development and Behaviour, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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