The caste- and sex-specific DNA methylome of the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis.

ABSTRACT: Epigenetic inheritance plays an important role in mediating alternative phenotype in highly social species. In order to gain a greater understanding of epigenetic effects in societies, we investigated DNA methylation in the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis. Termites are the most ancient social insects, and developmentally distinct from highly-studied, hymenopteran social insects. We used replicated bisulfite-sequencing to investigate patterns of DNA methylation in both sexes and among castes of Z. nevadensis. We discovered that Z. nevadensis displayed some of the highest levels of DNA methylation found in insects. We also found strong differences in methylation between castes. Methylated genes tended to be uniformly and highly expressed demonstrating the antiquity of associations between in

SUBMITTER: Glastad KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5111047 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature