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Evolutionary conservation of DNA methylation in CpG sites within ultraconserved noncoding elements.
Mathia Colwell1, Melissa Drown1, Kelly Showel1
1a Department of Animal Sciences , University of Minnesota, College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences , Saint Paul , MN , USA.
Epigenetics
|January 27, 2018
Summary
Ultraconserved noncoding elements (UCNEs) show surprising DNA methylation variability across species and individuals. This epigenetic flexibility is heritable, despite extreme sequence conservation over 400 million years.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Epigenetics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Ultraconserved noncoding elements (UCNEs) are highly conserved DNA sequences across vertebrates, showing minimal mutation accumulation.
- Despite sequence conservation, the epigenetic state of UCNEs has not been extensively studied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate DNA methylation patterns in UCNEs across a wide range of vertebrate species.
- To assess the variability and heritability of UCNE DNA methylation within and between species.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatic analysis of UCNEs in 56 vertebrate species.
- Comparison of DNA methylation levels in UCNEs with LINE1 transposons in human populations.
- Correlation analysis of global methylation and hydroxymethylation across 60 vertebrates.
Main Results:
- Approximately half of surveyed UCNEs exhibit intermediate DNA methylation levels, with the rest near 0% or 100%.
- Intermediately methylated UCNEs show greater methylation variation across mouse tissues.
- UCNEs display higher interindividual variation in human populations compared to LINE1 transposons.
- Global methylation is inversely correlated with hydroxymethylation in vertebrates.
Conclusions:
- DNA methylation within UCNEs is flexible and heritable through speciation, despite strong sequence conservation.
- UCNE methylation variation is relaxed from sequence selection pressures.
- UCNEs represent novel epigenetic biomarkers with potential for evolutionary studies.
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