Epigenetic Modifications May Regulate the Activation of the Hypopharyngeal Gland of Honeybees (Apis Mellifera) During Winter.

ABSTRACT: DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification primarily responsible for individual phenotypic variation. This modification has been reported to play an important role in caste, brain plasticity, and body development in honeybees (Apis mellifera). Here, we report the DNA methylation profile of honeybee hypopharyngeal glands, from atrophy in winter to arousal in the following spring, through the use of whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Consistent with previous studies in other Apis species, we found low methylation levels of the hypopharyngeal gland genome that were mostly of the CG type. Notably, we observed a strong preference for CpG methylation, which was localized in promoters and exon regions. This result further indicated that, in honeybees, DNA methylation may regulate

SUBMITTER: Wang K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7029738 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature