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Evolution of DNA Methylome Diversity in Eukaryotes
Alex de Mendoza1, Ryan Lister1, Ozren Bogdanovic2
1ARC CoE Plant Energy Biology, School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
Journal of Molecular Biology
|November 15, 2019
Summary
Cytosine DNA methylation (5mC) is crucial for gene regulation and its evolutionary patterns vary widely across eukaryotes. Recent studies reveal surprising diversity in animal 5mC, challenging previous assumptions about genome methylation.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Epigenetics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Cytosine DNA methylation (5mC) is a key epigenetic mark regulating gene expression across eukaryotes.
- Advances in whole-genome scale detection techniques have revolutionized the study of 5mC.
- Comparative methylome profiling reshapes understanding of 5mC evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the macroevolution of 5mC across major eukaryotic groups.
- To highlight recent advances in understanding 5mC in animals.
- To provide an evolutionary perspective on the roles of 5mC.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide DNA methylome profiling.
- Comparative analysis of 5mC patterns across eukaryotic lineages.
- Review of recent literature on animal 5mC.
Main Results:
- Genomic 5mC patterns and deposition mechanisms are evolutionarily labile but show emerging commonalities.
- 5mC diversity in animals is greater than previously assumed.
- Genome hypermethylation is not exclusive to vertebrates, and 5mC plays roles in invertebrate cis-regulation.
Conclusions:
- The evolution of 5mC is complex and dynamic across the eukaryotic tree of life.
- New insights into 5mC's role in cis-regulation are emerging from genome-wide studies in invertebrates.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the enigmatic roles of 5mC in eukaryotic evolution.
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