Persistent and plastic effects of temperature on DNA methylation across the genome of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

ABSTRACT: Epigenetic mechanisms such as changes in DNA methylation have the potential to affect the resilience of species to climate change, but little is known about the response of the methylome to changes in environmental temperature in animals. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, we assessed the effects of development temperature and adult acclimation temperature on DNA methylation levels in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Across all treatments, we identified 2130 differentially methylated cytosines distributed across the genome. Both increases and decreases in temperature during development and with thermal acclimation in adults increased global DNA methylation levels. Approximately 25% of the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) responded to both development

SUBMITTER: Metzger DCH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5647309 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature