Less-invasive age estimation using hair based on DNA methylation in brown bears.

ABSTRACT: Information on chronological age is essential for exploring the life history, conservation, and management of wildlife. Recently, DNA methylation-based methods using blood or skin have been established as alternatives to the traditional tooth-based method in bear species. However, the collection of these tissues is limited to captured or dead individuals. In the present study, we established the first hair-based age estimation model based on DNA methylation levels in brown bears, aiming for future application to less-invasively obtained hair of wild individuals. We performed bisulfite pyrosequencing and measured the methylation levels of hair root DNA. The methylation levels of cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites adjacent to the genes VGF, KCNK12, and ELOVL2 were found to be correlated with a

SUBMITTER: Nakamura S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12753630 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature