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Published on: September 7, 2017
Intragenic DNA methylation regulates insect gene expression and reproduction through the MBD/Tip60 complex
Guanfeng Xu1,2, Hao Lyu1,2, Yangqin Yi1,2
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental Biology and Applied Technology, Institute of Insect Science and Technology, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.
Abstract:
DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification. However, the regulations and functions of insect intragenic DNA methylation remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a regulatory mechanism involving intragenic DNA methylation controls ovarian and embryonic developmental processes in Bombyx mori. In B. mori, DNA methylation is found near the transcription start site (TSS) of ovarian genes. By promoter activity analysis, we observed that 5' UTR methylation enhances gene expression. Moreover, methyl-DNA-binding domain protein 2/3 (MBD2/3) binds to the intragenic methyl-CpG fragment and recruits acetyltransferase Tip60 to promote histone H3K27 acetylation and gene expression. Additionally, genome-wide analyses showed that the peak of H3K27 acetylation appears near the TSS of methyl-modified genes, and DNA methylation is enriched in genes involved in protein synthesis in the B. mori ovary, with MBD2/3 knockdown resulting in decreased fecundity. These data uncover a mechanism of gene body methylation for regulating insect gene expression and reproduction.
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