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Characterization of the Pristionchus pacificus "epigenetic toolkit" reveals the evolutionary loss of the histone methyltransferase complex PRC2.
Brown, Audrey L; Meiborg, Adriaan B; Franz-Wachtel, Mirita; Macek, Boris; Gordon, Spencer; Rog, Ofer; Weadick, Cameron J; Werner, Michael S.
Afiliación
  • Brown AL; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
  • Meiborg AB; Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
  • Franz-Wachtel M; Faculty of Biosciences, Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
  • Macek B; Proteome Center Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
  • Gordon S; Proteome Center Tübingen, University of Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
  • Rog O; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
  • Weadick CJ; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
  • Werner MS; Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
Genetics ; 227(1)2024 05 07.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38513719
ABSTRACT
Comparative approaches have revealed both divergent and convergent paths to achieving shared developmental outcomes. Thus, only through assembling multiple case studies can we understand biological principles. Yet, despite appreciating the conservation-or lack thereof-of developmental networks, the conservation of epigenetic mechanisms regulating these networks is poorly understood. The nematode Pristionchus pacificus has emerged as a model system of plasticity and epigenetic regulation as it exhibits a bacterivorous or omnivorous morph depending on its environment. Here, we determined the "epigenetic toolkit" available to P. pacificus as a resource for future functional work on plasticity, and as a comparison with Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate the conservation of epigenetic mechanisms. Broadly, we observed a similar cast of genes with putative epigenetic function between C. elegans and P. pacificus. However, we also found striking differences. Most notably, the histone methyltransferase complex PRC2 appears to be missing in P. pacificus. We described the deletion/pseudogenization of the PRC2 genes mes-2 and mes-6 and concluded that both were lost in the last common ancestor of P. pacificus and a related species P. arcanus. Interestingly, we observed the enzymatic product of PRC2 (H3K27me3) by mass spectrometry and immunofluorescence, suggesting that a currently unknown methyltransferase has been co-opted for heterochromatin silencing. Altogether, we have provided an inventory of epigenetic genes in P. pacificus to compare with C. elegans. This inventory will enable reverse-genetic experiments related to plasticity and has revealed the first loss of PRC2 in a multicellular organism.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Caenorhabditis elegans / Evolución Molecular / Epigénesis Genética Límite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: Genetics Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Estados Unidos Pais de publicación: Estados Unidos
Texto completo
Añadir a Mi BVS
Imprimir
XML
PubMed Links
Buscar en Google

Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Caenorhabditis elegans / Evolución Molecular / Epigénesis Genética Límite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: Genetics Año: 2024 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Estados Unidos Pais de publicación: Estados Unidos