Exploring the ageing methylome in the model insect,<i>Nasonia vitripennis</i>

Brink, Kristiana; Thomas, Christian; Jones, Alun R. C.; Mallon, Eamonn B.

doi:10.1101/2023.02.14.528436

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 72 publications

(104 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Consistent with the role of DNAme in lifespan regulation in invertebrates, recent studies have shown that the patterns of this epigenetic mark are influenced by age in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis [65] and the water flea Daphnia magna [66]. Our functional analyses revealed that RG108 significantly affected DNAme in the CG context, but not in the non-CG context.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

DNA methylation extends lifespan in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Renard,

Martinet,

De Souza Araujo

et al. 2023

Proc. R. Soc. B.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Epigenetic alterations are a primary hallmark of ageing. In mammals, age-related epigenetic changes alter gene expression profiles, disrupt cellular homeostasis and physiological functions and, therefore, promote ageing. It remains unclear whether ageing is also driven by epigenetic mechanisms in invertebrates. Here, we used a pharmacological hypomethylating agent (RG108) to evaluate the effects of DNA methylation (DNAme) on lifespan in an insect—the bumblebee Bombus terrestris . RG108 extended mean lifespan by 43% and induced the differential methylation of genes involved in hallmarks of ageing, including DNA damage repair and chromatin organization. Furthermore, the longevity gene sirt1 was overexpressed following the treatment. Functional experiments demonstrated that SIRT1 protein activity was positively associated with lifespan. Overall, our study indicates that epigenetic mechanisms are conserved regulators of lifespan in both vertebrates and invertebrates and provides new insights into how DNAme is involved in the ageing process in insects.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

DNA methylation extends lifespan in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Renard,

Martinet,

De Souza Araujo

et al. 2023

Proc. R. Soc. B.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The direction of changes in DNA methylation at specific positions has been used to predict the chronological age of organisms with accuracy ( Horvath 2013 ; Horvath and Raj 2018 ). Epigenetic drift due to aging is observed in diverse species such as mammals, birds, other vertebrates, and some invertebrates ( Fairfield et al 2021 ; Sun et al 2021 ; Mayne et al 2022 ; Brink et al 2023 ). If epigenomic studies of populations include individuals of different ages, epigenetic drift can present itself as variation within or between populations, independent of genetic variation.…”

Section: Sources Of Epigenetic Variationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Role of DNA Methylation as a Driver of Plastic Responses to the Environment Across Cells, Organisms, and Populations

Bogan,

2024

Genome Biology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is great interest in exploring epigenetic modifications as drivers of adaptive organismal responses to environmental change. Extending this hypothesis to populations, epigenetically driven plasticity could influence phenotypic changes across environments. The canonical model posits that epigenetic modifications alter gene regulation and, subsequently impact phenotypes. We first discuss origins of epigenetic variation in nature, which may arise from genetic variation, spontaneous epimutations, epigenetic drift, or variation in epigenetic capacitors. We then review and synthesize literature addressing three facets of the aforementioned model: (i) causal effects of epigenetic modifications on phenotypic plasticity at the organismal level, (ii) divergence of epigenetic patterns in natural populations distributed across environmental gradients, and (iii) the relationship between environmentally induced epigenetic changes and gene expression at the molecular level. We focus on DNA methylation, the most extensively studied epigenetic modification. We find support for environmentally associated epigenetic structure in populations and selection on stable epigenetic variants, and that inhibition of epigenetic enzymes frequently bears causal effects on plasticity. However, there are pervasive confounding issues in the literature. Effects of chromatin-modifying enzymes on phenotype may be independent of epigenetic marks, alternatively resulting from functions and protein interactions extrinsic of epigenetics. Associations between environmentally induced changes in DNA methylation and expression are strong in plants and mammals but notably absent in invertebrates and non-mammalian vertebrates. Given these challenges, we describe emerging approaches to better investigate how epigenetic modifications affect gene regulation, phenotypic plasticity, and divergence among populations.

show abstract

“…The most commonly used invertebrate aging models, D. melanogaster and C. elegans have no or very limited cytosine methylation [56,57]. However, cytosine methylation is found in many invertebrate animals, but methylation clocks have not been tested extensively in these species (but see [58][59][60]). If a ground zero model-for cytosine methylation or another molecular markerdoes apply to species other than mammals, then the "ground zero" time point might serve as the common starting point to determine age and allow for the comparison of equivalent age data between species.…”

Section: Measuring Lifespan and Agementioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative analysis of animal lifespan

Riddle,

Biga,

Bronikowski

et al. 2023

GeroScience

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Comparative studies of aging are a promising approach to identifying general properties of and processes leading to aging. While to date, many comparative studies of aging in animals have focused on relatively narrow species groups, methodological innovations now allow for studies that include evolutionary distant species. However, comparative studies of aging across a wide range of species that have distinct life histories introduce additional challenges in experimental design. Here, we discuss these challenges, highlight the most pressing problems that need to be solved, and provide suggestions based on current approaches to successfully carry out comparative aging studies across the animal kingdom.

show abstract

Exploring the ageing methylome in the model insect,Nasonia vitripennis

Cited by 4 publications

References 72 publications

DNA methylation extends lifespan in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris

DNA methylation extends lifespan in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris

Potential Role of DNA Methylation as a Driver of Plastic Responses to the Environment Across Cells, Organisms, and Populations

Comparative analysis of animal lifespan

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About