Effects of temperature and salinity stress on DNA methylation in a highly invasive marine invertebrate, the colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum.

ABSTRACT: Environmentally induced epigenetic changes may contribute to phenotypic plasticity, increase adaptive potential in changing environments, and play a key role in the establishment and spread of invasive species in new habitats. In this study, we used methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) to assess environmentally induced DNA methylation changes in a globally invasive clonal ascidian, Didemnum vexillum. We tested the effect of increasing temperature (19, 25 and 27 °C) and decreasing salinity (34, 32, 30, 28 and 26 practical salinity units (PSU)) on global DNA methylation, growth and survival rates. Exposure to 27 °C resulted in significant changes in DNA methylation over time. Growth also decreased in colonies exposed to high temperatures, suggesting they were under ther

SUBMITTER: Hawes NA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6022722 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature