Environmental DNA methylation of Lymnaea stagnalis varies with age and is hypermethylated compared to tissue DNA.

ABSTRACT: Environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches contributing to species identifications are quickly becoming the new norm in biomonitoring and ecosystem assessments. Yet, information such as age and health state of the population, which is vital to species biomonitoring, has not been accessible from eDNA. DNA methylation has the potential to provide such information on the state of a population. Here, we measured the methylation of eDNA along with tissue DNA (tDNA) of Lymnaea stagnalis at four life stages. We demonstrate that eDNA methylation varies with age and allows distinguishing among age classes. Moreover, eDNA was globally hypermethylated in comparison to tDNA. This difference was age-specific and connected to a limited number of eDNA sites. This differential methylation pattern suggests that e

SUBMITTER: Zhao B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10087510 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature