1
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Bogan SN, Yi SV. Potential Role of DNA Methylation as a Driver of Plastic Responses to the Environment Across Cells, Organisms, and Populations. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae022. [PMID: 38324384 PMCID: PMC10899001 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
There is great interest in exploring epigenetic modifications as drivers of adaptive organismal responses to environmental change. Extending this hypothesis to populations, epigenetically driven plasticity could influence phenotypic changes across environments. The canonical model posits that epigenetic modifications alter gene regulation and subsequently impact phenotypes. We first discuss origins of epigenetic variation in nature, which may arise from genetic variation, spontaneous epimutations, epigenetic drift, or variation in epigenetic capacitors. We then review and synthesize literature addressing three facets of the aforementioned model: (i) causal effects of epigenetic modifications on phenotypic plasticity at the organismal level, (ii) divergence of epigenetic patterns in natural populations distributed across environmental gradients, and (iii) the relationship between environmentally induced epigenetic changes and gene expression at the molecular level. We focus on DNA methylation, the most extensively studied epigenetic modification. We find support for environmentally associated epigenetic structure in populations and selection on stable epigenetic variants, and that inhibition of epigenetic enzymes frequently bears causal effects on plasticity. However, there are pervasive confounding issues in the literature. Effects of chromatin-modifying enzymes on phenotype may be independent of epigenetic marks, alternatively resulting from functions and protein interactions extrinsic of epigenetics. Associations between environmentally induced changes in DNA methylation and expression are strong in plants and mammals but notably absent in invertebrates and nonmammalian vertebrates. Given these challenges, we describe emerging approaches to better investigate how epigenetic modifications affect gene regulation, phenotypic plasticity, and divergence among populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel N Bogan
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Soojin V Yi
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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2
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Nikolaienko O, Lønning PE, Knappskog S. epialleleR: an R/Bioconductor package for sensitive allele-specific methylation analysis in NGS data. Gigascience 2022; 12:giad087. [PMID: 37919976 PMCID: PMC10622323 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-level mosaic epimutations within the BRCA1 gene promoter occur in 5-8% of healthy individuals and are associated with a significantly elevated risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Similar events may also affect other tumor suppressor genes, potentially being a significant contributor to cancer burden. While this opens a new area for translational research, detection of low-level mosaic epigenetic events requires highly sensitive and robust methodology for methylation analysis. We here present epialleleR, a computational framework for sensitive detection, quantification, and visualization of mosaic epimutations in methylation sequencing data. Analyzing simulated and real data sets, we provide in-depth assessments of epialleleR performance and show that linkage to epihaplotype data is necessary to detect low-level methylation events. The epialleleR is freely available at https://github.com/BBCG/epialleleR and https://bioconductor.org/packages/epialleleR/ as an open-source R/Bioconductor package.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleksii Nikolaienko
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genome-Directed Cancer Therapy, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5021, Norway
| | - Per Eystein Lønning
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genome-Directed Cancer Therapy, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5021, Norway
- Department of Oncology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen 5021, Norway
| | - Stian Knappskog
- K. G. Jebsen Center for Genome-Directed Cancer Therapy, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen 5021, Norway
- Department of Oncology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen 5021, Norway
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3
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Capra E, Toschi P, Del Corvo M, Lazzari B, Stella A, Williams JL, Loi P, Ajmone Marsan P. Short Communication: Maternal undernutrition during peri-conceptional period affects whole genome ovine muscle methylation in adult offspring. J Anim Sci 2022; 100:6586878. [PMID: 35580043 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental and epidemiological studies suggest that maternal nutritional status during early pregnancy, including the period around the time of conception, may induce long-lasting epigenetic changes in the offspring. However, this remains largely unexplored in livestock. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate if modification of the maternal diet of sheep (CTR: control; UND: 50% undernutrition) during the peri-conceptional period (42 days in total: -14/+28 from mating), would impact CpG methylation in muscle tissue (Longissimus dorsi) of adult offspring (11.5 months old). Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS), identified 262 (Edge-R, FDR<0.05) and 686 (Logistic Regression, FDR <0.001) differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the UND and CTR groups. Gene ontology (GO) analysis identified genes related to development, functions of the muscular system and steroid hormone receptor activity within the DMRs. The data reported here show that nutritional stress during early pregnancy leads to epigenetic modifications in the muscle of the resulting offspring, with possible implications for cardiac dysfunction, muscle physiology and meat production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Capra
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA), National Research Council (CNR), Einstein 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Paola Toschi
- Department. of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Marcello Del Corvo
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Technology - DIANA, and Nutrigenomics and Proteomics Research Center - PRONUTRIGEN, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Emilia Parmense 84, 29122, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Barbara Lazzari
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA), National Research Council (CNR), Einstein 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Alessandra Stella
- Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA), National Research Council (CNR), Einstein 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - John Lewis Williams
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Technology - DIANA, and Nutrigenomics and Proteomics Research Center - PRONUTRIGEN, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Emilia Parmense 84, 29122, Piacenza, Italy.,Davies Research Centre, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia
| | - Pasqualino Loi
- Laboratory of Experimental Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Via R. Balzarini 1, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Paolo Ajmone Marsan
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Technology - DIANA, and Nutrigenomics and Proteomics Research Center - PRONUTRIGEN, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Emilia Parmense 84, 29122, Piacenza, Italy
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4
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Jiang H, Yang X, Mi M, Wei X, Wu H, Xin Y, Jiao L, Sun S, Sun C. Development and performance evaluation of TaqMan real-time fluorescence quantitative methylation specific PCR for detecting methylation level of PER2. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 49:2097-2105. [PMID: 34854010 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-07027-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND PER2 gene methylation is closely related to the occurrence and progress of some cancers, but there is no method to quantitatively detect PER2 methylation in conventional laboratories. So, we established a TaqMan real-time fluorescence quantitative methylation specific PCR (TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP) assay and use it for quantitative detection of PER2 methylation in leukemia patients. METHODS According to the PER2 sequence searched by GenBank, a CpG sequence enrichment region of the PER2 gene promoter was selected, and the methylated and unmethylated target sequences were designed according to the law of bisulfite conversion of DNA to construct PER2 methylation positive and negative reference materials. Specific primers and probe were designed. The reference materials were continuously diluted into gradient samples by tenfold ratio to evaluate the analytical sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and reproducibility of the method, and the analytical sensitivity of TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay was compared with that of the conventional MSP assay. At the same time, the new-established TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay and the conventional MSP assay were used to detect the PER2 methylation level of 81 patients with leukemia, and the samples with inconsistent detection results of the two assays were sent to pyromethylation sequencing to evaluate the clinical detection performance. RESULTS The minimum detection limit of TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay for detecting PER2 methylation level established in this study was 6 copies/uL, and the coefficient of variation(CV) of intra-assay and inter-assay was less than 3%. Compared with the conventional MSP assay, it has higher analytical sensitivity. For the samples with inconsistent detection results, the results of pyrosequencing and TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay are consistent. CONCLUSION TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay of PER2 methylation established in this study has high detection performance and can be used for the detection of clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Jiang
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, Shandong, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Laboratory Center, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, 20 Yuhuangding East Road, Yantai, 264000, Shandong, China
| | - Miaomiao Mi
- Department of Laboratory Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250000, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaonan Wei
- Department of Laboratory Center, Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao, 266000, Shandong, China
| | - Hongyuan Wu
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, Shandong, China
| | - Yu Xin
- Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264000, Shandong, China
| | - Liping Jiao
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, Shandong, China
| | - Shengjun Sun
- Department of Laboratory Center, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, 264000, Shandong, China
| | - Chengming Sun
- Department of Laboratory Center, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, 20 Yuhuangding East Road, Yantai, 264000, Shandong, China.
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5
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Peters TJ, Buckley MJ, Chen Y, Smyth GK, Goodnow CC, Clark SJ. Calling differentially methylated regions from whole genome bisulphite sequencing with DMRcate. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:e109. [PMID: 34320181 PMCID: PMC8565305 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole genome bisulphite sequencing (WGBS) permits the genome-wide study of single molecule methylation patterns. One of the key goals of mammalian cell-type identity studies, in both normal differentiation and disease, is to locate differential methylation patterns across the genome. We discuss the most desirable characteristics for DML (differentially methylated locus) and DMR (differentially methylated region) detection tools in a genome-wide context and choose a set of statistical methods that fully or partially satisfy these considerations to compare for benchmarking. Our data simulation strategy is both biologically informed-employing distribution parameters derived from large-scale consortium datasets-and thorough. We report DML detection ability with respect to coverage, group methylation difference, sample size, variability and covariate size, both marginally and jointly, and exhaustively with respect to parameter combination. We also benchmark these methods on FDR control and computational time. We use this result to backend and introduce an expanded version of DMRcate: an existing DMR detection tool for microarray data that we have extended to now call DMRs from WGBS data. We compare DMRcate to a set of alternative DMR callers using a similarly realistic simulation strategy. We find DMRcate and RADmeth are the best predictors of DMRs, and conclusively find DMRcate the fastest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Peters
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.,UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Michael J Buckley
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.,UNSW Sydney, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Yunshun Chen
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Gordon K Smyth
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.,School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Christopher C Goodnow
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences and Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Susan J Clark
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
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6
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Wu X, Galbraith DA, Chatterjee P, Jeong H, Grozinger CM, Yi SV. Lineage and Parent-of-Origin Effects in DNA Methylation of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) Revealed by Reciprocal Crosses and Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:1482-1492. [PMID: 32597952 PMCID: PMC7502210 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parent-of-origin methylation arises when the methylation patterns of a particular allele are dependent on the parent it was inherited from. Previous work in honey bees has shown evidence of parent-of-origin-specific expression, yet the mechanisms regulating such pattern remain unknown in honey bees. In mammals and plants, DNA methylation is known to regulate parent-of-origin effects such as genomic imprinting. Here, we utilize genotyping of reciprocal European and Africanized honey bee crosses to study genome-wide allele-specific methylation patterns in sterile and reproductive individuals. Our data confirm the presence of allele-specific methylation in honey bees in lineage-specific contexts but also importantly, though to a lesser degree, parent-of-origin contexts. We show that the majority of allele-specific methylation occurs due to lineage rather than parent-of-origin factors, regardless of the reproductive state. Interestingly, genes affected by allele-specific DNA methylation often exhibit both lineage and parent-of-origin effects, indicating that they are particularly labile in terms of DNA methylation patterns. Additionally, we re-analyzed our previous study on parent-of-origin-specific expression in honey bees and found little association with parent-of-origin-specific methylation. These results indicate strong genetic background effects on allelic DNA methylation and suggest that although parent-of-origin effects are manifested in both DNA methylation and gene expression, they are not directly associated with each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wu
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - David A Galbraith
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Paramita Chatterjee
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Hyeonsoo Jeong
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Christina M Grozinger
- Department of Entomology, Center for Pollinator Research, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Soojin V Yi
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
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7
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Combinatorial therapy in tumor microenvironment: Where do we stand? Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1876:188585. [PMID: 34224836 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in tumor initiation and progression by creating a dynamic interaction with cancer cells. The tumor microenvironment consists of various cellular components, including endothelial cells, fibroblasts, pericytes, adipocytes, immune cells, cancer stem cells and vasculature, which provide a sustained environment for cancer cell proliferation. Currently, targeting tumor microenvironment is increasingly being explored as a novel approach to improve cancer therapeutics, as it influences the growth and expansion of malignant cells in various ways. Despite continuous advancements in targeted therapies for cancer treatment, drug resistance, toxicity and immune escape mechanisms are the basis of treatment failure and cancer escape. Targeting tumor microenvironment efficiently with approved drugs and combination therapy is the solution to this enduring challenge that involves combining more than one treatment modality such as chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and nanotherapy that can effectively and synergistically target the critical pathways associated with disease pathogenesis. This review shed light on the composition of the tumor microenvironment, interaction of different components within tumor microenvironment with tumor cells and associated hallmarks, the current status of combinatorial therapies being developed, and various growing advancements. Furthermore, computational tools can also be used to monitor the significance and outcome of therapies being developed. We addressed the perceived barriers and regulatory hurdles in developing a combinatorial regimen and evaluated the present status of these therapies in the clinic. The accumulating depth of knowledge about the tumor microenvironment in cancer may facilitate further development of effective treatment modalities. This review presents the tumor microenvironment as a sweeping landscape for developing novel cancer therapies.
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8
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Jiang W, Xia T, Liu C, Li J, Zhang W, Sun C. Remodeling the Epigenetic Landscape of Cancer-Application Potential of Flavonoids in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:705903. [PMID: 34235089 PMCID: PMC8255972 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.705903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA regulation, are physiological regulatory changes that affect gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence. Although epigenetic disorders are considered a sign of cell carcinogenesis and malignant events that affect tumor progression and drug resistance, in view of the reversible nature of epigenetic modifications, clinicians believe that associated mechanisms can be a key target for cancer prevention and treatment. In contrast, epidemiological and preclinical studies indicated that the epigenome is constantly reprogrammed by intake of natural organic compounds and the environment, suggesting the possibility of utilizing natural compounds to influence epigenetics in cancer therapy. Flavonoids, although not synthesized in the human body, can be consumed daily and are common in medicinal plants, vegetables, fruits, and tea. Recently, numerous reports provided evidence for the regulation of cancer epigenetics by flavonoids. Considering their origin in natural and food sources, few side effects, and remarkable biological activity, the epigenetic antitumor effects of flavonoids warrant further investigation. In this article, we summarized and analyzed the multi-dimensional epigenetic effects of all 6 subtypes of flavonoids (including flavonols, flavones, isoflavones, flavanones, flavanols, and anthocyanidin) in different cancer types. Additionally, our report also provides new insights and a promising direction for future research and development of flavonoids in tumor prevention and treatment via epigenetic modification, in order to realize their potential as cancer therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Jiang
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Tingting Xia
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Cun Liu
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jie Li
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Wenfeng Zhang
- Clinical Medical Colleges, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Changgang Sun
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China.,Qingdao Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingdao, China
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9
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Liang J, Zhang K, Yang J, Li X, Li Q, Wang Y, Cai W, Teng H, Sun Z. A new approach to decode DNA methylome and genomic variants simultaneously from double strand bisulfite sequencing. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:6289882. [PMID: 34058751 PMCID: PMC8575003 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbab201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic and epigenetic contributions to various diseases and biological processes have been well-recognized. However, simultaneous identification of single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and DNA methylation levels from traditional bisulfite sequencing data is still challenging. Here, we develop double strand bisulfite sequencing (DSBS) for genome-wide accurate identification of SNVs and DNA methylation simultaneously at a single-base resolution by using one dataset. Locking Watson and Crick strand together by hairpin adapter followed by bisulfite treatment and massive parallel sequencing, DSBS simultaneously sequences the bisulfite-converted Watson and Crick strand in one paired-end read, eliminating the strand bias of bisulfite sequencing data. Mutual correction of read1 and read2 can estimate the amplification and sequencing errors, and enables our developed computational pipeline, DSBS Analyzer (https://github.com/tianguolangzi/DSBS), to accurately identify SNV and DNA methylation. Additionally, using DSBS, we provide a genome-wide hemimethylation landscape in the human cells, and reveal that the density of DNA hemimethylation sites in promoter region and CpG island is lower than that in other genomic regions. The cost-effective new approach, which decodes DNA methylome and genomic variants simultaneously, will facilitate more comprehensive studies on numerous diseases and biological processes driven by both genetic and epigenetic variations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jie Yang
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xianfeng Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qinglan Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wanshi Cai
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Huajing Teng
- Corresponding author: Zhongsheng Sun, Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing 100101, China. Tel.: +86 10 64864959; Fax: +86 10 84504120. ; Huajing Teng, Department of Radiation Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100142, China. Tel.: +86 10 88196505.
| | - Zhongsheng Sun
- Corresponding author: Zhongsheng Sun, Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichen West Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing 100101, China. Tel.: +86 10 64864959; Fax: +86 10 84504120. ; Huajing Teng, Department of Radiation Oncology, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100142, China. Tel.: +86 10 88196505.
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10
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Kashangura C. Artificial intelligence enhanced molecular databases can enable improved user-friendly bioinformatics and pave the way for novel applications. S AFR J SCI 2021. [DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2021/8151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
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11
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Distinct epigenomic and transcriptomic modifications associated with Wolbachia-mediated asexuality. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008397. [PMID: 32187233 PMCID: PMC7105135 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that induce a range of pathogenic and fitness-altering effects on insect and nematode hosts. In parasitoid wasps of the genus Trichogramma, Wolbachia infection induces asexual production of females, thus increasing transmission of Wolbachia. It has been hypothesized that Wolbachia infection accompanies a modification of the host epigenome. However, to date, data on genome-wide epigenomic changes associated with Wolbachia are limited, and are often confounded by background genetic differences. Here, we took sexually reproducing Trichogramma free of Wolbachia and introgressed their genome into a Wolbachia-infected cytoplasm, converting them to Wolbachia-mediated asexuality. Wolbachia was then cured from replicates of these introgressed lines, allowing us to examine the genome-wide effects of wasps newly converted to asexual reproduction while controlling for genetic background. We thus identified gene expression and DNA methylation changes associated with Wolbachia-infection. We found no overlaps between differentially expressed genes and differentially methylated genes, indicating that Wolbachia-infection associated DNA methylation change does not directly modulate levels of gene expression. Furthermore, genes affected by these mechanisms exhibit distinct evolutionary histories. Genes differentially methylated due to the infection tended to be evolutionarily conserved. In contrast, differentially expressed genes were significantly more likely to be unique to the Trichogramma lineage, suggesting host-specific transcriptomic responses to infection. Nevertheless, we identified several novel aspects of Wolbachia-associated DNA methylation changes. Differentially methylated genes included those involved in oocyte development and chromosome segregation. Interestingly, Wolbachia-infection was associated with higher levels of DNA methylation. Additionally, Wolbachia infection reduced overall variability in gene expression, even after accounting for the effect of DNA methylation. We also identified specific cases where alternative exon usage was associated with DNA methylation changes due to Wolbachia infection. These results begin to reveal distinct genes and molecular pathways subject to Wolbachia induced epigenetic modification and/or host responses to Wolbachia-infection. Wolbachia is an extremely common endosymbiotic infection of arthropods and nematodes. One of the reasons why Wolbachia can so successfully infect diverse species is the bacterium’s ability to profoundly alter the reproductive behavior of its host. It has been proposed that Wolbachia may modify host’s epigenetic programs to alter its reproductive behavior. However, it has been difficult to study how epigenetic programs change with Wolbachia infection, due to the confounding effects of genetic backgrounds. Here, we studied host transcriptome and epigenome changes associated with Wolbachia infection in a homogenous genetic background, by carrying out an innovative introgression scheme. By doing so, we show, for the first time, high-resolution molecular consequences of intracellular infection and offer insights into epigenetic and transcriptomic regulation of invertebrates.
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12
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Wang X, Kadarmideen HN. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using next-generation sequencing to reveal candidate genes responsible for boar taint in pigs. Anim Genet 2019; 50:644-659. [PMID: 31515844 DOI: 10.1111/age.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Boar taint (BT) is an offensive flavor observed in non-castrated male pigs that reduces the carcass price. Surgical castration effectively avoids the taint but is associated with animal welfare concerns. The functional annotation of farm animal genomes for understanding the biology of complex traits can be used in the selection of breeding animals to achieve favorable phenotypic outcomes. The characterization of pig epigenomes/methylation changes between animals with high and low BT and genome-wide epigenetic markers that can predict BT are lacking. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing of DNA methylation patterns based on next-generation sequencing is an efficient technology to identify candidate epigenetic biomarkers associated with BT. Three different BT levels were analyzed using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing data to calculate the methylation levels of cytosine and guanine dinucleotide (CpG) sites. The co-analysis of differentially methylated CpG sites identified by this study and differentially expressed genes identified by a previous study found 32 significant co-located genes. The joint analysis of GO terms and pathways revealed that methylation and gene expression of seven candidate genes were associated with BT; in particular, FASN plays a key role in fatty acid biosynthesis, and PEMT might be involved in estrogen regulation and the development of BT. This study is the first to report the genome-wide DNA methylation profiles of BT in pigs using next-generation sequencing and summarize candidate genes associated with epigenetic markers of BT, which could contribute to the understanding of the functional biology of BT traits and selective breeding of pigs against BT based on epigenetic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Wang
- Quantitative Genomics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Group, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Richard Petersens Plads, Building 324, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - H N Kadarmideen
- Quantitative Genomics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Group, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Richard Petersens Plads, Building 324, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
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Trijau M, Asselman J, Armant O, Adam-Guillermin C, De Schamphelaere KAC, Alonzo F. Transgenerational DNA Methylation Changes in Daphnia magna Exposed to Chronic γ Irradiation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:4331-4339. [PMID: 29486114 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b05695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Our aim was to investigate epigenetic changes in Daphnia magna after a 25-day chronic external γ irradiation (generation F0 exposed to 6.5 μGy·h-1 or 41.3 mGy·h-1) and their potential inheritance by subsequent recovering generations, namely, F2 (exposed as germline cells in F1 embryos) and F3 (the first truly unexposed generation). Effects on survival, growth, and reproduction were observed and DNA was extracted for whole-genome bisulfite sequencing in all generations. Results showed effects on reproduction in F0 but no effect in the subsequent generations F1, F2, and F3. In contrast, we observed significant methylation changes at specific CpG positions in every generation independent of dose rate, with a majority of hypomethylation. Some of these changes were shared between dose rates and between generations. Associated gene functions included gene families and genes that were previously shown to play roles during exposure to ionizing radiation. Common methylation changes detected between generations F2 and F3 clearly showed that epigenetic modifications can be transmitted to unexposed generations, most likely through the germline, with potential implications for environmental risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Trijau
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire , PSE-ENV, SRTE, LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lèz-Durance 13115 , France
| | - Jana Asselman
- Laboratory for Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology , Ghent University , Ghent 9000 , Belgium
| | - Olivier Armant
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire , PSE-ENV, SRTE, LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lèz-Durance 13115 , France
| | - Christelle Adam-Guillermin
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire , PSE-ENV, SRTE, LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lèz-Durance 13115 , France
| | | | - Frédéric Alonzo
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire , PSE-ENV, SRTE, LECO, Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lèz-Durance 13115 , France
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Yi SV. Insights into Epigenome Evolution from Animal and Plant Methylomes. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:3189-3201. [PMID: 29036466 PMCID: PMC5721340 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary studies of DNA methylation offer insights into the mechanisms governing the variation of genomic DNA methylation across different species. Comparisons of gross levels of DNA methylation between distantly related species indicate that the size of the genome and the level of genomic DNA methylation are positively correlated. In plant genomes, this can be reliably explained by the genomic contents of repetitive sequences. In animal genomes, the role of repetitive sequences on genomic DNA methylation is less clear. On a shorter timescale, population-level comparisons demonstrate that genetic variation can explain the observed variability of DNA methylation to some degree. The amount of DNA methylation variation that has been attributed to genetic variation in the human population studies so far is substantially lower than that from Arabidopsis population studies, but this disparity might reflect the differences in the computational and experimental techniques used. The effect of genetic variation on DNA methylation has been directly examined in mammalian systems, revealing several causative factors that govern DNA methylation. On the other hand, studies from Arabidopsis have furthered our understanding of spontaneous mutations of DNA methylation, termed “epimutations.” Arabidopsis has an extremely high rate of spontaneous epimutations, which may play a major role in shaping the global DNA methylation landscape in this genome. Key missing information includes the frequencies of spontaneous epimutations in other lineages, in particular animal genomes, and how population-level variation of DNA methylation leads to species-level differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soojin V Yi
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
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