Resource base influences genome-wide DNA methylation levels in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus).

ABSTRACT: Variation in resource availability commonly exerts strong effects on fitness-related traits in wild animals. However, we know little about the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects, or about their persistence over time. To address these questions, we profiled genome-wide whole-blood DNA methylation levels in two sets of wild baboons: (i) 'wild-feeding' baboons that foraged naturally in a savanna environment and (ii) 'Lodge' baboons that had ready access to spatially concentrated human food scraps, resulting in high feeding efficiency and low daily travel distances. We identified 1014 sites (0.20% of sites tested) that were differentially methylated between wild-feeding and Lodge baboons, providing the first evidence that resource availability shapes the epigenome in a wild mammal

SUBMITTER: Lea AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4846536 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature