Mapping epigenetic divergence in the massive radiation of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes.

ABSTRACT: Epigenetic variation modulates gene expression and can be heritable. However, knowledge of the contribution of epigenetic divergence to adaptive diversification in nature remains limited. The massive evolutionary radiation of Lake Malawi cichlid fishes displaying extensive phenotypic diversity despite extremely low sequence divergence is an excellent system to study the epigenomic contribution to adaptation. Here, we present a comparative genome-wide methylome and transcriptome study, focussing on liver and muscle tissues in phenotypically divergent cichlid species. In both tissues we find substantial methylome divergence among species. Differentially methylated regions (DMR), enriched in evolutionary young transposons, are associated with transcription changes of ecologically-relevant gen

SUBMITTER: Vernaz G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8497601 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature