Histone Modifications in the Anoxic Northern Crayfish, Faxonius virilis

Northern Crayfish, Faxonius virilis, displays various strategies that allow them to survive extended periods of oxygen deprivation. However, certain epigenetic adaptations that these crayfish use have not been studied in detail, and the role of specific mechanisms used such as histone modifications remain unknown. Epigenetic studies offer a new perspective on how crayfish can regulate gene expression to redirect energy to essential functions needed for survival. This study investigates the regulation of histone modifications of proteins including acetylation and deacetylation in F. virilis in response to 20-h anoxia exposure. These histone modifications were studied via analysis of writer, reader, and eraser proteins such as lysine acetyltransferases (KATs), bromodomain proteins (BRDs), histone deacetylases (HDAC), and sirtuin proteins (SIRTs). Significant upregulation was seen in one histone protein and one lysine acetyltransferase: H3K14Ac and KAT2A. These proteins are known to be regulated by BRD2; a protein that specifically reads and targets H3K14Ac. In response to anoxia, a larger number of histone deacetylases and sirtuin proteins were upregulated in comparison to lysine acetyltransferases suggesting a focus on suppression of gene expression. The histone deacetylases and sirtuin proteins with significant upregulation were HDAC2, HDAC3, SIRT2, SIRT3, and SIRT6. These proteins have also all been implicated in DNA damage regulation which further suggests that crayfish focus limited energy on ensuring cell survival. This study provides an understanding of how histone acetylation and deacetylation are regulated in crayfish as a component of metabolic rate suppression under anoxia.