Evidence from pyrosequencing indicates that natural variation in animal personality is associated with <scp>DRD</scp>4 <scp>DNA</scp> methylation

Verhulst, Eveline C.; Mateman, A. Christa; Zwier, Mathijs V.; Samuel, P.; Verhoeven, Koen J. F.; Oers, Kees van

doi:10.1111/mec.13519

Cited by 67 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Indeed, recent sequencing of the great tit methylome indicated an important role for methylation in evolutionary processes within the species65, while methylation has also been shown to be important in shaping great tit personality66. The epigenome is highly responsive to environmental cues and aberrant patterns of DNA methylation have been linked with exposure to a wide range of environmental contaminants in humans and other animals646768, as well as cardiovascular diseases, cancers and ageing6970 in humans.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome analysis of a wild bird reveals physiological responses to the urban environment

Watson

Videvall

Andersson³

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

107

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Identifying the molecular basis of environmentally induced phenotypic variation presents exciting opportunities for furthering our understanding of how ecological processes and the environment can shape the phenotype. Urban and rural environments present free-living organisms with different challenges and opportunities, which have marked consequences for the phenotype, yet little is known about responses at the molecular level. We characterised transcriptomes from an urban and a rural population of great tits Parus major, demonstrating striking differences in gene expression profiles in both blood and liver tissues. Differentially expressed genes had functions related to immune and inflammatory responses, detoxification, protection against oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and regulation of gene expression. Many genes linked to stress responses were expressed at higher levels in the urban birds, in accordance with our prediction that urban animals are exposed to greater environmental stress. This is one of the first studies to reveal transcriptional differences between urban- and rural-dwelling animals and suggests an important role for epigenetics in mediating environmentally induced physiological variation. The study provides valuable resources for developing further in-depth studies of the mechanisms driving phenotypic variation in the urban context at larger spatial and temporal scales.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome analysis of a wild bird reveals physiological responses to the urban environment

Watson

Videvall

Andersson³

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

107

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“…Recently, epigenetic reprogramming of gene expression was shown to impact, in the long term, the phenotypes of birds. Notably, several studies have investigated epigenetic marks that may be implicated in behavior [3,4], adaptation [5,6] and the impact of nutrition on chicken performance [7,8]. Moreover, the available information on chicken epigenetics is growing thanks to the recent advances in high-throughput sequencing techniques (HTS).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genome-Wide Epigenetic Studies in Chicken: A Review

David¹,

Mersch

Foissac

et al. 2017

Epigenomes

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Over the years, farmed birds have been selected on various performance traits mainly through genetic selection. However, many studies have shown that genetics may not be the sole contributor to phenotypic plasticity. Gene expression programs can be influenced by environmentally induced epigenetic changes that may alter the phenotypes of the developing animals. Recently, high-throughput sequencing techniques became sufficiently affordable thanks to technological advances to study whole epigenetic landscapes in model plants and animals. In birds, a growing number of studies recently took advantage of these techniques to gain insights into the epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation in processes such as immunity or environmental adaptation. Here, we review the current gain of knowledge on the chicken epigenome made possible by recent advances in high-throughput sequencing techniques by focusing on the two most studied epigenetic modifications, DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications. We discuss and provide insights about designing and performing analyses to further explore avian epigenomes. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the epigenetic regulation of gene expression in relation to bird phenotypes may provide new knowledge and markers that should undoubtedly contribute to a sustainable poultry production.

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“…There are now a growing number of studies that have examined DNA methylation in wild organisms, mainly in birds (great tits Parus major ; Riyahi, Sánchez‐Delgado, Calafell, Monk, & Senar, 2015; Derks et al., 2016; Laine et al., 2016; Verhulst et al., 2016; eastern blue birds Sialia sialis; Bentz, Sirman, Wada, Navara, & Hood, 2016; red grouse Lagopus lagopus ; Wenzel & Piertney, 2014; house sparrows Passer domesitcus : Liebl, Schrey, Richards, & Martin, 2013; superb starlings Lamprotornis superbus ; Rubenstein et al., 2016). These and other studies have begun to support a role for DNA methylation in mediating ecological effects on phenotypic traits in the wild (e.g., personality and cognition: Laine et al., 2016; Verhulst et al., 2016) and emphasize the dynamic environmental sensitivity of DNA methylation levels across the life course. However, few if any studies have examined the potential relationship between DNA methylation and sexually‐selected traits, even though epigenetic regulation may represent a critical link between genes and sexually selected trait expression (Jašarević et al., 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age‐ and quality‐dependent DNA methylation correlate with melanin‐based coloration in a wild bird

Soulsbury

Lipponen

Wood

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Secondary sexual trait expression can be influenced by fixed individual factors (such as genetic quality) as well as by dynamic factors (such as age and environmentally induced gene expression) that may be associated with variation in condition or quality. In particular, melanin‐based traits are known to relate to condition and there is a well‐characterized genetic pathway underpinning their expression. However, the mechanisms linking variable trait expression to genetic quality remain unclear. One plausible mechanism is that genetic quality could influence trait expression via differential methylation and differential gene expression. We therefore conducted a pilot study examining DNA methylation at a candidate gene (agouti‐related neuropeptide: AgRP) in the black grouse Lyrurus tetrix. We specifically tested whether CpG methylation covaries with age and multilocus heterozygosity (a proxy of genetic quality) and from there whether the expression of a melanin‐based ornament (ultraviolet‐blue chroma) correlates with DNA methylation. Consistent with expectations, we found clear evidence for age‐ and heterozygosity‐specific patterns of DNA methylation, with two CpG sites showing the greatest DNA methylation in highly heterozygous males at their peak age of reproduction. Furthermore, DNA methylation at three CpG sites was significantly positively correlated with ultraviolet‐blue chroma. Ours is the first study to our knowledge to document age‐ and quality‐dependent variation in DNA methylation and to show that dynamic sexual trait expression across the lifespan of an organism is associated with patterns of DNA methylation. Although we cannot demonstrate causality, our work provides empirical support for a mechanism that could potentially link key individual factors to variation in sexual trait expression in a wild vertebrate.

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Evidence from pyrosequencing indicates that natural variation in animal personality is associated with DRD4 DNA methylation

Cited by 67 publications

References 62 publications

Transcriptome analysis of a wild bird reveals physiological responses to the urban environment

Transcriptome analysis of a wild bird reveals physiological responses to the urban environment

Genome-Wide Epigenetic Studies in Chicken: A Review

Age‐ and quality‐dependent DNA methylation correlate with melanin‐based coloration in a wild bird

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