PUBLICATION
Zebrafish preserve global germline DNA methylation while sex-linked rDNA is amplified and demethylated during feminisation
- Authors
- Ortega-Recalde, O., Day, R.C., Gemmell, N.J., Hore, T.A.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-190719-8
- Date
- 2019
- Source
- Nature communications 10: 3053 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- none
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- DNA Methylation/physiology*
- DNA, Ribosomal/metabolism*
- Demethylation
- Epigenesis, Genetic/physiology
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental/physiology*
- Male
- Oocytes/metabolism*
- RNA, Ribosomal/genetics
- Sex Characteristics
- Zebrafish/physiology*
- PubMed
- 31311924 Full text @ Nat. Commun.
Citation
Ortega-Recalde, O., Day, R.C., Gemmell, N.J., Hore, T.A. (2019) Zebrafish preserve global germline DNA methylation while sex-linked rDNA is amplified and demethylated during feminisation. Nature communications. 10:3053.
Abstract
The germline is the only cellular lineage capable of transferring genetic information from one generation to the next. Intergenerational transmission of epigenetic memory through the germline, in the form of DNA methylation, has been proposed; however, in mammals this is largely prevented by extensive epigenetic erasure during germline definition. Here we report that, unlike mammals, the continuously-defined 'preformed' germline of zebrafish does not undergo genome-wide erasure of DNA methylation during development. Our analysis also uncovers oocyte-specific germline amplification and demethylation of an 11.5-kb repeat region encoding 45S ribosomal RNA (fem-rDNA). The peak of fem-rDNA amplification coincides with the initial expansion of stage IB oocytes, the poly-nucleolar cell type responsible for zebrafish feminisation. Given that fem-rDNA overlaps with the only zebrafish locus identified thus far as sex-linked, we hypothesise fem-rDNA expansion could be intrinsic to sex determination in this species.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping