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Natural Genetic Variation in a Multigenerational Phenotype in C. elegans
Lise Frézal1, Emilie Demoinet2, Christian Braendle2
1Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INSERM, École Normale Supérieure, Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France; Wellcome Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK; Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK.
Current Biology : CB
|August 7, 2018
Summary
Certain Caenorhabditis elegans strains show a heat-sensitive mortal germline phenotype, indicating heritable epigenetic changes. This suggests natural genetic variation in epigenetic inheritance exists within C. elegans populations.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics and Developmental Biology
- Genetics and Genomics
- Nematode Biology
Background:
- Heredity typically involves DNA sequence transmission, but non-genetic factors can also be inherited across generations.
- In Caenorhabditis elegans, the mortal germline (Mrt) phenotype and transgenerational RNAi effects highlight multigenerational inheritance.
- These phenomena converge in heat-sensitive Mrt mutants defective in RNAi-inheritance machinery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the natural variation of the heat-sensitive mortal germline (Mrt) phenotype in C. elegans wild isolates.
- To determine the genetic basis of temperature-induced Mrt phenotypes in C. elegans.
- To explore the role of epigenetic inheritance in natural populations.
Main Methods:
- Phenotypic analysis of C. elegans wild isolates under heat stress (25°C).
- Construction of recombinant inbred lines between Mrt (MY10) and non-Mrt (JU1395) isolates.
- Bulk segregant analysis and recombinant mapping to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs).
- Genome editing to confirm the causal gene for the Mrt phenotype.
Main Results:
- Several C. elegans wild isolates exhibit a heat-sensitive Mrt phenotype, becoming sterile after several generations at 25°C.
- The heat-induced sterility is reversible by temperature alternations, suggesting a non-genetic component.
- Genetic analysis identified two QTLs, with a major locus pinpointed to a polymorphism in the set-24 gene.
Conclusions:
- Natural populations of C. elegans harbor genetic variation influencing epigenetic inheritance.
- The SET- and SPK-domain protein encoded by set-24 plays a significant role in the temperature-induced Mrt phenotype.
- This study reveals natural genetic variation in epigenetic inheritance phenomena within C. elegans populations.
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