Exploring the role of DNA methylation as a source of phenotypic variation in Crassostrea gigas

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Epigenetics in Context: from Ecology to Evolution (ESF-EMBO). San Feliu de Guixols, Spain. Sept 18 - 23, 2011

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Mackenzie Gavery & Steven Roberts

University of Washington

School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

Seattle, WA USA

Exploring the role of DNA methylation as a source of phenotypic variation in

Crassostrea gigas

Background: oysters

Results: characterization of DNA methylation in Crassostrea gigas

Discussion: functional role

Outline

Oyster: Biology

egg sperm

free swimming larvae (2 weeks)

2-3 years

juvenile

Oysters: Economic value

(FAO Fishery Statistics, 2006)

Major Producers of Crassostrea gigas

Oysters: Threats

DNA methylationAn epigenetic mechanism found in plants and

animals

In animals: occurs primarily in a CpG context

Function: gene regulation

Can be affected by environmental factors

Me

C

GC

G

DNA methylation: invertebratesOnly a handful of species have been evaluated

Model invertebrates lack DNA methylation

Most: 30 – 60 % methylation

Primarily in exonic regions

Important regulatory functions – honey bee (e.g. Kucharski et al., 2008; Elango et al., 2009; Lyko et al., 2010)

Characterization of DNA methylation in oysters

Describe distribution of methylation

Elucidate functional significance

Results

in silico analysis

Genome wide methylation analysis

in silico approachPrinciple:

Methylated cytosines are highly mutable

C T

Methylated regions of DNA are depleted of CpG dinucleotides over evolutionary time (CpG to TpG)

m

CpG observed

CpG expectedCpG O/E low = methylated

in silico approachPrinciple:

Methylated cytosines are highly mutable

C T

Methylated regions of DNA are depleted of CpG dinucleotides over evolutionary time (CpG to TpG)

m

CpG observed

CpG expectedCpG O/E high = unmethylated

DNA metabolism

cell cycle and proliferation

RNA metabolism

protein metabolism

death

other metabolic processes

cell organization and biogenesis

other biological processes

transport

stress response

developmental processes

cell-cell signaling

signal transduction

cell adhesion

0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70CpGO/E

Results: in silico

Gavery & Roberts, 2010

DNA metabolism

cell cycle and proliferation

RNA metabolism

protein metabolism

death

other metabolic processes

cell organization and biogenesis

other biological processes

transport

stress response

developmental processes

cell-cell signaling

signal transduction

cell adhesion

0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70CpGO/E

Results: in silico‘h

ouse

keep

ing’

‘indu

cibl

e’

Gavery & Roberts, 2010

=methylated CpG

Summary of Results:Genes with differing regulatory requirements have

different levels of DNA methylation

‘housekeeping’, ubiquitously expressed = methylated

‘inducible genes’ = unmethylated

Results

in silico analysis

Genome wide methylation analysis

MBD-seq

YY

YMBD

MBD

MBD

Methyl-binding domain isolated - genome sequencing

CpG O/E(modified from Gavery and Roberts 2010)

Predicted degree of DNA methylation

MBD-seq: Results

CpG O/E(modified from Gavery and Roberts 2010)

Predicted degree of DNA methylation

Mea

sure

d de

gree

of D

NA

met

hyla

tion

En

rich

men

t le

vel

in M

BD

lib

rary

(unp

ublis

hed)

MBD-seq: Results

CpG O/E(modified from Gavery and Roberts 2010)

Predicted degree of DNA methylation

Mea

sure

d de

gree

of D

NA

met

hyla

tion

En

rich

men

t le

vel

in M

BD

lib

rary

(unp

ublis

hed)

MBD-seq: Results

CpG O/E(modified from Gavery and Roberts 2010)

Predicted degree of DNA methylation

Mea

sure

d de

gree

of D

NA

met

hyla

tion

En

rich

men

t le

vel

in M

BD

lib

rary

(unp

ublis

hed)

MBD-seq: Results

Summary of Results:Experimental analysis confirms in silico results

Genes with differing regulatory requirements have different levels of DNA methylation

‘housekeeping’ ubiquitously expressed = methylated

‘inducible genes’ = unmethylated

Discussion:

Why?

DNA metabolism

cell cycle and proliferation

RNA metabolism

protein metabolism

death

other metabolic processes

cell organization and biogenesis

other biological processes

transport

stress response

developmental processes

cell-cell signaling

signal transduction

cell adhesion

0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70CpGO/E

‘hou

seke

epin

g’‘in

duci

ble’

Gavery & Roberts, 2010

Discussion: Functional Role

DNA metabolism

cell cycle and proliferation

RNA metabolism

protein metabolism

death

other metabolic processes

cell organization and biogenesis

other biological processes

transport

stress response

developmental processes

cell-cell signaling

signal transduction

cell adhesion

0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70CpGO/E

‘hou

seke

epin

g’‘in

duci

ble’

Gavery & Roberts, 2010

Conventional transcription of genesrequired for essential functioning

Discussion: Functional Role

DNA metabolism

cell cycle and proliferation

RNA metabolism

protein metabolism

death

other metabolic processes

cell organization and biogenesis

other biological processes

transport

stress response

developmental processes

cell-cell signaling

signal transduction

cell adhesion

0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70CpGO/E

‘hou

seke

epin

g’‘in

duci

ble’

Gavery & Roberts, 2010

Discussion: Functional Role

Increased variation in environmental response genes

DNA metabolism

cell cycle and proliferation

RNA metabolism

protein metabolism

death

other metabolic processes

cell organization and biogenesis

other biological processes

transport

stress response

developmental processes

cell-cell signaling

signal transduction

cell adhesion

0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70CpGO/E

‘hou

seke

epin

g’‘in

duci

ble’

Gavery & Roberts, 2010

Discussion: Functional Role

TFTFIncreased variation in environmental response genes

a) alternative splicing

DNA metabolism

cell cycle and proliferation

RNA metabolism

protein metabolism

death

other metabolic processes

cell organization and biogenesis

other biological processes

transport

stress response

developmental processes

cell-cell signaling

signal transduction

cell adhesion

0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70CpGO/E

‘hou

seke

epin

g’‘in

duci

ble’

Gavery & Roberts, 2010

Discussion: Functional Role

Increased variation in environmental response genes

a) alternative splicingb) sequence variation

DNA metabolism

cell cycle and proliferation

RNA metabolism

protein metabolism

death

other metabolic processes

cell organization and biogenesis

other biological processes

transport

stress response

developmental processes

cell-cell signaling

signal transduction

cell adhesion

0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70CpGO/E

‘hou

seke

epin

g’Discussion: Functional Role

Gavery & Roberts, 2010

Increased variation in environmental response genes

a) alternative splicingb) sequence variationc) transient methylation

‘indu

cibl

e’

DNA metabolism

cell cycle and proliferation

RNA metabolism

protein metabolism

death

other metabolic processes

cell organization and biogenesis

other biological processes

transport

stress response

developmental processes

cell-cell signaling

signal transduction

cell adhesion

0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70CpGO/E

‘hou

seke

epin

g’Discussion: Functional Role

Gavery & Roberts, 2010

Increased variation in environmental response genes

a) alternative splicingb) sequence variationc) transient methylation

‘indu

cibl

e’

Conventional transcription of genesrequired for essential functioning

The distribution of DNA methylation may function to promote variation in environmental response genes Planktonic larvae

Sessile

Variable environments

Discussion: Functional Role

Conclusions/Future Directions:

Oysters have a functioning DNA methylation system

Ubiquitously expressed and inducible genes have different levels of methylation – indicating a functional roleFuture work:

Test the hypothesis that the DNA methylation system functions to enhance random variation in aquatic invertebrates

Investigate epigenetic effects of synthetic estrogens in oysters

Acknowledgements

Samuel White (UW, SAFS)

Joth Davis (Taylor Shellfish Farms)

US Environmental Protection Agency

Graduate School, UW

email: mgavery@uw.eduwebsite: students.washington.edu/mgavery

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