1
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Taff CC, McNew SM, Campagna L, Vitousek MN. Corticosterone exposure is associated with long-term changes in DNA methylation, physiology and breeding decisions in a wild bird. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17456. [PMID: 38953311 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17456] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
When facing challenges, vertebrates activate a hormonal stress response that can dramatically alter behaviour and physiology. Although this response can be costly, conceptual models suggest that it can also recalibrate the stress response system, priming more effective responses to future challenges. Little is known about whether this process occurs in wild animals, particularly in adulthood, and if so, how information about prior experience with stressors is encoded. One potential mechanism is hormonally mediated changes in DNA methylation. We simulated the spikes in corticosterone that accompany a stress response using non-invasive dosing in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and monitored the phenotypic effects 1 year later. In a subset of individuals, we characterized DNA methylation using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing shortly after treatment and a year later. The year after treatment, experimental females had stronger negative feedback and initiated breeding earlier-traits that are associated with stress resilience and reproductive performance in our population-and higher baseline corticosterone. We also found that natural variation in corticosterone predicted patterns of DNA methylation. Finally, corticosterone treatment influenced methylation on short (1-2 weeks) and long (1 year) time scales; however, these changes did not have clear links to functional regulation of the stress response. Taken together, our results are consistent with corticosterone-induced priming of future stress resilience and support DNA methylation as a potential mechanism, but more work is needed to demonstrate functional consequences. Uncovering the mechanisms linking experience with the response to future challenges has implications for understanding the drivers of stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine, USA
| | - Sabrina M McNew
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Leonardo Campagna
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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2
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Balard A, Baltazar-Soares M, Eizaguirre C, Heckwolf MJ. An epigenetic toolbox for conservation biologists. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13699. [PMID: 38832081 PMCID: PMC11146150 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13699] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Ongoing climatic shifts and increasing anthropogenic pressures demand an efficient delineation of conservation units and accurate predictions of populations' resilience and adaptive potential. Molecular tools involving DNA sequencing are nowadays routinely used for these purposes. Yet, most of the existing tools focusing on sequence-level information have shortcomings in detecting signals of short-term ecological relevance. Epigenetic modifications carry valuable information to better link individuals, populations, and species to their environment. Here, we discuss a series of epigenetic monitoring tools that can be directly applied to various conservation contexts, complementing already existing molecular monitoring frameworks. Focusing on DNA sequence-based methods (e.g. DNA methylation, for which the applications are readily available), we demonstrate how (a) the identification of epi-biomarkers associated with age or infection can facilitate the determination of an individual's health status in wild populations; (b) whole epigenome analyses can identify signatures of selection linked to environmental conditions and facilitate estimating the adaptive potential of populations; and (c) epi-eDNA (epigenetic environmental DNA), an epigenetic-based conservation tool, presents a non-invasive sampling method to monitor biological information beyond the mere presence of individuals. Overall, our framework refines conservation strategies, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of species' adaptive potential and persistence on ecologically relevant timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Balard
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | | | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
| | - Melanie J Heckwolf
- Department of Ecology Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research Bremen Germany
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3
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Shahmohamadloo RS, Fryxell JM, Rudman SM. Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance increases trait variation but is not adaptive. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.15.589575. [PMID: 38659883 PMCID: PMC11042258 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.15.589575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Understanding processes that can produce adaptive phenotypic shifts in response to rapid environmental change is critical to reducing biodiversity loss. The ubiquity of environmentally induced epigenetic marks has led to speculation that epigenetic inheritance could potentially enhance population persistence in response to environmental change. Yet, the magnitude and fitness consequences of epigenetic marks carried beyond maternal inheritance are largely unknown. Here, we tested how transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) shapes the phenotypic response of Daphnia clones to the environmental stressor Microcystis. We split individuals from each of eight genotypes into exposure and control treatments (F0 generation) and tracked the fitness of their descendants to the F3 generation. We found transgenerational epigenetic exposure to Microcystis led to reduced rates of survival and individual growth and no consistent effect on offspring production. Increase in trait variance in the F3 relative to F0 generations suggests potential for heritable bet hedging driven by TEI, which could impact population dynamics. Our findings are counter to the working hypothesis that TEI is a generally adaptive mechanism likely to prevent extinction for populations inhabiting rapidly changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- René S. Shahmohamadloo
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States
| | - John M. Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Seth M. Rudman
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States
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4
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Zimmer C, Jimeno B, Martin LB. HPA flexibility and FKBP5: promising physiological targets for conservation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220512. [PMID: 38310934 PMCID: PMC10838639 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) flexibility is an emerging concept recognizing that individuals that will cope best with stressors will probably be those using their hormones in the most adaptive way. The HPA flexibility concept considers glucocorticoids as molecules that convey information about the environment from the brain to the body so that the organismal phenotype comes to complement prevailing conditions. In this context, FKBP5 protein appears to set the extent to which circulating glucocorticoid concentrations can vary within and across stressors. Thus, FKBP5 expression, and the HPA flexibility it causes, seem to represent an individual's ability to regulate its hormones to orchestrate organismal responses to stressors. As FKBP5 expression can also be easily measured in blood, it could be a worthy target of conservation-oriented research attention. We first review the known and likely roles of HPA flexibility and FKBP5 in wildlife. We then describe putative genetic, environmental and epigenetic causes of variation in HPA flexibility and FKBP5 expression among and within individuals. Finally, we hypothesize how HPA flexibility and FKBP5 expression should affect organismal fitness and hence population viability in response to human-induced rapid environmental changes, particularly urbanization. This article is part of the theme issue 'Endocrine responses to environmental variation: conceptual approaches and recent developments'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Zimmer
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UR 4443, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Blanca Jimeno
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologia (IPE), CSIC, Avenida Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, 16, 22700 Jaca, Spain
| | - Lynn B. Martin
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Disease Research and Center for Genomics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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5
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Seebacher F, Little AG. Thyroid hormone links environmental signals to DNA methylation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220506. [PMID: 38310936 PMCID: PMC10838643 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental conditions experienced within and across generations can impact individual phenotypes via so-called 'epigenetic' processes. Here we suggest that endocrine signalling acts as a 'sensor' linking environmental inputs to epigenetic modifications. We focus on thyroid hormone signalling and DNA methylation, but other mechanisms are likely to act in a similar manner. DNA methylation is one of the most important epigenetic mechanisms, which alters gene expression patterns by methylating cytosine bases via DNA methyltransferase enzymes. Thyroid hormone is mechanistically linked to DNA methylation, at least partly by regulating the activity of DNA methyltransferase 3a, which is the principal enzyme that mediates epigenetic responses to environmental change. Thyroid signalling is sensitive to natural and anthropogenic environmental impacts (e.g. light, temperature, endocrine-disrupting pollution), and here we propose that thyroid hormone acts as an environmental sensor to mediate epigenetic modifications. The nexus between thyroid hormone signalling and DNA methylation can integrate multiple environmental signals to modify phenotypes, and coordinate phenotypic plasticity at different time scales, such as within and across generations. These dynamics can have wide-ranging effects on health and fitness of animals, because they influence the time course of phenotypic adjustments and potentially the range of environmental stimuli that can elicit epigenetic responses. This article is part of the theme issue 'Endocrine responses to environmental variation: conceptual approaches and recent developments'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Seebacher
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences A08, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Alexander G. Little
- Department of Biology, Life Sciences Building, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1
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6
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de Carvalho CF, Slate J, Villoutreix R, Soria-Carrasco V, Riesch R, Feder JL, Gompert Z, Nosil P. DNA methylation differences between stick insect ecotypes. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6809-6823. [PMID: 37864542 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, can influence gene regulation and affect phenotypic variation, raising the possibility that they contribute to ecological adaptation. Beginning to address this issue requires high-resolution sequencing studies of natural populations to pinpoint epigenetic regions of potential ecological and evolutionary significance. However, such studies are still relatively uncommon, especially in insects, and are mainly restricted to a few model organisms. Here, we characterize patterns of DNA methylation for natural populations of Timema cristinae adapted to two host plant species (i.e. ecotypes). By integrating results from sequencing of whole transcriptomes, genomes and methylomes, we investigate whether environmental, host and genetic differences of these stick insects are associated with methylation levels of cytosine nucleotides in the CpG context. We report an overall genome-wide methylation level for T. cristinae of ~14%, with methylation being enriched in gene bodies and impoverished in repetitive elements. Genome-wide DNA methylation variation was strongly positively correlated with genetic distance (relatedness), but also exhibited significant host-plant effects. Using methylome-environment association analysis, we pinpointed specific genomic regions that are differentially methylated between ecotypes, with these regions being enriched for genes with functions in membrane processes. The observed association between methylation variation and genetic relatedness, and with the ecologically important variable of host plant, suggests a potential role for epigenetic modification in T. cristinae adaptation. To substantiate such adaptive significance, future studies could test whether methylation can be transmitted across generations and the extent to which it responds to experimental manipulation in field and laboratory studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jon Slate
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | | | - Rüdiger Riesch
- University of Montpellier, CEFE, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Jeffrey L Feder
- Department of Biology, Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Patrik Nosil
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- University of Montpellier, CEFE, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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7
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Venney CJ, Anastasiadi D, Wellenreuther M, Bernatchez L. The Evolutionary Complexities of DNA Methylation in Animals: From Plasticity to Genetic Evolution. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad216. [PMID: 38015807 PMCID: PMC10701099 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of DNA methylation in plastic responses to environmental change and evolutionary dynamics is increasingly recognized. Here, we provide a Perspective piece on the diverse roles of DNA methylation on broad evolutionary timescales, including (i) short-term transient acclimation, (ii) stable phenotypic evolution, and (iii) genomic evolution. We show that epigenetic responses vary along a continuum, ranging from short-term acclimatory responses in variable environments within a generation to long-term modifications in populations and species. DNA methylation thus unlocks additional potential for organisms to rapidly acclimate to their environment over short timeframes. If these changes affect fitness, they can circumvent the need for adaptive changes at the genome level. However, methylation has a complex reciprocal relationship with genetic variation as it can be genetically controlled, yet it can also induce point mutations and contribute to genomic evolution. When habitats remain constant over many generations, or populations are separated across habitats, initially plastic phenotypes can become hardwired through epigenetically facilitated mutagenesis. It remains unclear under what circumstances plasticity contributes to evolutionary outcomes, and when plastic changes will become permanently encoded into genotype. We highlight how studies investigating the evolution of epigenetic plasticity need to carefully consider how plasticity in methylation state could evolve among different evolutionary scenarios, the possible phenotypic outcomes, its effects on genomic evolution, and the proximate energetic and ultimate fitness costs of methylation. We argue that accumulating evidence suggests that DNA methylation can contribute toward evolution on various timescales, spanning a continuum from acclimatory plasticity to genomic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare J Venney
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes (IBIS), Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Dafni Anastasiadi
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Nelson Research Centre, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Maren Wellenreuther
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, Nelson Research Centre, Nelson, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Louis Bernatchez
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative des Systèmes (IBIS), Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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8
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Tangili M, Slettenhaar AJ, Sudyka J, Dugdale HL, Pen I, Palsbøll PJ, Verhulst S. DNA methylation markers of age(ing) in non-model animals. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4725-4741. [PMID: 37401200 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Inferring the chronological and biological age of individuals is fundamental to population ecology and our understanding of ageing itself, its evolution, and the biological processes that affect or even cause ageing. Epigenetic clocks based on DNA methylation (DNAm) at specific CpG sites show a strong correlation with chronological age in humans, and discrepancies between inferred and actual chronological age predict morbidity and mortality. Recently, a growing number of epigenetic clocks have been developed in non-model animals and we here review these studies. We also conduct a meta-analysis to assess the effects of different aspects of experimental protocol on the performance of epigenetic clocks for non-model animals. Two measures of performance are usually reported, the R2 of the association between the predicted and chronological age, and the mean/median absolute deviation (MAD) of estimated age from chronological age, and we argue that only the MAD reflects accuracy. R2 for epigenetic clocks based on the HorvathMammalMethylChip4 was higher and the MAD scaled to age range lower, compared with other DNAm quantification approaches. Scaled MAD tended to be lower among individuals in captive populations, and decreased with an increasing number of CpG sites. We conclude that epigenetic clocks can predict chronological age with relatively high accuracy, suggesting great potential in ecological epigenetics. We discuss general aspects of epigenetic clocks in the hope of stimulating further DNAm-based research on ageing, and perhaps more importantly, other key traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianthi Tangili
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Annabel J Slettenhaar
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joanna Sudyka
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah L Dugdale
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Ido Pen
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Per J Palsbøll
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Simon Verhulst
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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9
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Bogan SN, Strader ME, Hofmann GE. Associations between DNA methylation and gene regulation depend on chromatin accessibility during transgenerational plasticity. BMC Biol 2023; 21:149. [PMID: 37365578 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01645-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic processes are proposed to be a mechanism regulating gene expression during phenotypic plasticity. However, environmentally induced changes in DNA methylation exhibit little-to-no association with differential gene expression in metazoans at a transcriptome-wide level. It remains unexplored whether associations between environmentally induced differential methylation and expression are contingent upon other epigenomic processes such as chromatin accessibility. We quantified methylation and gene expression in larvae of the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus exposed to different ecologically relevant conditions during gametogenesis (maternal conditioning) and modeled changes in gene expression and splicing resulting from maternal conditioning as functions of differential methylation, incorporating covariates for genomic features and chromatin accessibility. We detected significant interactions between differential methylation, chromatin accessibility, and genic feature type associated with differential expression and splicing. RESULTS Differential gene body methylation had significantly stronger effects on expression among genes with poorly accessible transcriptional start sites while baseline transcript abundance influenced the direction of this effect. Transcriptional responses to maternal conditioning were 4-13 × more likely when accounting for interactions between methylation and chromatin accessibility, demonstrating that the relationship between differential methylation and gene regulation is partially explained by chromatin state. CONCLUSIONS DNA methylation likely possesses multiple associations with gene regulation during transgenerational plasticity in S. purpuratus and potentially other metazoans, but its effects are dependent on chromatin accessibility and underlying genic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel N Bogan
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA.
| | - Marie E Strader
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
| | - Gretchen E Hofmann
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
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10
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Fallet M, Blanc M, Di Criscio M, Antczak P, Engwall M, Guerrero Bosagna C, Rüegg J, Keiter SH. Present and future challenges for the investigation of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 172:107776. [PMID: 36731188 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic pathways are essential in different biological processes and in phenotype-environment interactions in response to different stressors and they can induce phenotypic plasticity. They encompass several processes that are mitotically and, in some cases, meiotically heritable, so they can be transferred to subsequent generations via the germline. Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance (TEI) describes the phenomenon that phenotypic traits, such as changes in fertility, metabolic function, or behavior, induced by environmental factors (e.g., parental care, pathogens, pollutants, climate change), can be transferred to offspring generations via epigenetic mechanisms. Investigations on TEI contribute to deciphering the role of epigenetic mechanisms in adaptation, adversity, and evolution. However, molecular mechanisms underlying the transmission of epigenetic changes between generations, and the downstream chain of events leading to persistent phenotypic changes, remain unclear. Therefore, inter-, (transmission of information between parental and offspring generation via direct exposure) and transgenerational (transmission of information through several generations with disappearance of the triggering factor) consequences of epigenetic modifications remain major issues in the field of modern biology. In this article, we review and describe the major gaps and issues still encountered in the TEI field: the general challenges faced in epigenetic research; deciphering the key epigenetic mechanisms in inheritance processes; identifying the relevant drivers for TEI and implement a collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach to study TEI. Finally, we provide suggestions on how to overcome these challenges and ultimately be able to identify the specific contribution of epigenetics in transgenerational inheritance and use the correct tools for environmental science investigation and biomarkers identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Fallet
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Fakultetsgatan 1, 70182 Örebro, Sweden; Department of Biochemistry, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom.
| | - Mélanie Blanc
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, INRAE, Palavas, France
| | - Michela Di Criscio
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18A, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Philipp Antczak
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and Cologne University Hospital, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Germany; Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Magnus Engwall
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Fakultetsgatan 1, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
| | | | - Joëlle Rüegg
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18A, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Steffen H Keiter
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, Fakultetsgatan 1, 70182 Örebro, Sweden
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11
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Rubenstein DR, Solomon J. Target-enriched enzymatic methyl sequencing: Flexible, scalable and inexpensive hybridization capture for quantifying DNA methylation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282672. [PMID: 36893162 PMCID: PMC9997987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing interest in studying DNA methylation to understand how traits or diseases develop requires new and flexible approaches for quantifying DNA methylation in a diversity of organisms. In particular, we need efficient yet cost-effective ways to measure CpG methylation states over large and complete regions of the genome. Here, we develop TEEM-Seq (target-enriched enzymatic methyl sequencing), a method that combines enzymatic methyl sequencing with a custom-designed hybridization capture bait set that can be scaled to reactions including large numbers of samples in any species for which a reference genome is available. Using DNA from a passerine bird, the superb starling (Lamprotornis superbus), we show that TEEM-Seq is able to quantify DNA methylation states similarly well to the more traditional approaches of whole-genome and reduced-representation sequencing. Moreover, we demonstrate its reliability and repeatability, as duplicate libraries from the same samples were highly correlated. Importantly, the downstream bioinformatic analysis for TEEM-Seq is the same as for any sequence-based approach to studying DNA methylation, making it simple to incorporate into a variety of workflows. We believe that TEEM-Seq could replace traditional approaches for studying DNA methylation in candidate genes and pathways, and be effectively paired with other whole-genome or reduced-representation sequencing approaches to increase project sample sizes. In addition, TEEM-Seq can be combined with mRNA sequencing to examine how DNA methylation in promoters or other regulatory regions is related to the expression of individual genes or gene networks. By maximizing the number of samples in the hybridization reaction, TEEM-Seq is an inexpensive and flexible sequence-based approach for quantifying DNA methylation in species where other capture-based methods are unavailable or too expensive, particularly for non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin R. Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Integrative Animal Behavior, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Joseph Solomon
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
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12
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Abstract
We organized this special issue to highlight new work and review recent advances at the cutting edge of 'wild quantitative genomics'. In this editorial, we will present some history of wild quantitative genetic and genomic studies, before discussing the main themes in the papers published in this special issue and highlighting the future outlook of this dynamic field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Johnston
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Nancy Chen
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, 14627, NY, USA
| | - Emily B Josephs
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824, MI, USA
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13
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Lundregan SL, Mäkinen H, Buer A, Holand H, Jensen H, Husby A. Infection by a helminth parasite is associated with changes in
DNA
methylation in the house sparrow. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9539. [PMCID: PMC9702581 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Lundregan
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Hannu Mäkinen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | - Amberly Buer
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Håkon Holand
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Arild Husby
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
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14
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Hämälä T, Ning W, Kuittinen H, Aryamanesh N, Savolainen O. Environmental response in gene expression and DNA methylation reveals factors influencing the adaptive potential of Arabidopsis lyrata. eLife 2022; 11:83115. [PMID: 36306157 PMCID: PMC9616567 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding what factors influence plastic and genetic variation is valuable for predicting how organisms respond to changes in the selective environment. Here, using gene expression and DNA methylation as molecular phenotypes, we study environmentally induced variation among Arabidopsis lyrata plants grown at lowland and alpine field sites. Our results show that gene expression is highly plastic, as many more genes are differentially expressed between the field sites than between populations. These environmentally responsive genes evolve under strong selective constraint – the strength of purifying selection on the coding sequence is high, while the rate of adaptive evolution is low. We find, however, that positive selection on cis-regulatory variants has likely contributed to the maintenance of genetically variable environmental responses, but such variants segregate only between distantly related populations. In contrast to gene expression, DNA methylation at genic regions is largely insensitive to the environment, and plastic methylation changes are not associated with differential gene expression. Besides genes, we detect environmental effects at transposable elements (TEs): TEs at the high-altitude field site have higher expression and methylation levels, suggestive of a broad-scale TE activation. Compared to the lowland population, plants native to the alpine environment harbor an excess of recent TE insertions, and we observe that specific TE families are enriched within environmentally responsive genes. Our findings provide insight into selective forces shaping plastic and genetic variation. We also highlight how plastic responses at TEs can rapidly create novel heritable variation in stressful conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomas Hämälä
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Weixuan Ning
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Helmi Kuittinen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Nader Aryamanesh
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Outi Savolainen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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