Zhang Jihui, Wu Xiaobing
School of Food Science and Biology Engineering, Wuhu Institute of Technology, Wuhu 241000, China.
College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Jul 3;14(13):1972. doi: 10.3390/ani14131972.
Many ectotherms hibernate to increase their chances of survival during harsh winter conditions. The role of DNA methylation in regulating gene expression related to hibernation in ectotherms remains unclear. Here, we employed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) technology to construct a comprehensive genome-wide DNA methylation landscape of the hindlimb muscles in the Chinese alligator during hibernation and active periods. The results indicated that methylation modifications were most abundant at CG sites, identifying 9447 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and 2329 differentially methylated genes (DMGs). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of the DMGs revealed significant enrichment in major pathways such as the neurotrophin signaling pathway, the MAPK signaling pathway, the GnRH signaling pathway, the biosynthesis of amino acids, and the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, which are closely related to lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. Among these, 412 differentially methylated genes were located in promoter regions, including genes related to energy metabolism such as ATP5F1C, ATP5MD, PDK3, ANGPTL1, and ANGPTL2, and genes related to ubiquitin-proteasome degradation such as FBXO28, FBXO43, KLHL40, and PSMD5. These findings suggest that methylation in promoter regions may play a significant role in regulating the adaptive hibernation mechanisms in the Chinese alligator. This study contributes to a further understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms behind the hibernation of the Chinese alligator.
许多变温动物会冬眠，以增加在严酷冬季条件下的生存几率。DNA甲基化在调节变温动物冬眠相关基因表达中的作用仍不清楚。在此，我们采用全基因组亚硫酸氢盐测序（WGBS）技术，构建了扬子鳄在冬眠期和活跃期后肢肌肉全基因组范围内全面的DNA甲基化图谱。结果表明，甲基化修饰在CG位点最为丰富，共鉴定出9447个差异甲基化区域（DMR）和2329个差异甲基化基因（DMG）。对DMG的KEGG通路富集分析显示，在神经营养因子信号通路、MAPK信号通路、GnRH信号通路、氨基酸生物合成以及肌动蛋白细胞骨架调节等主要通路中显著富集，这些通路与脂质代谢、能量代谢和氨基酸代谢密切相关。其中，412个差异甲基化基因位于启动子区域，包括与能量代谢相关的基因如ATP5F1C、ATP5MD、PDK3、ANGPTL1和ANGPTL2，以及与泛素 - 蛋白酶体降解相关的基因如FBXO28、FBXO43、KLHL40和PSMD5。这些发现表明，启动子区域的甲基化可能在调节扬子鳄的适应性冬眠机制中发挥重要作用。本研究有助于进一步了解扬子鳄冬眠背后的表观遗传机制。
