Despite the promise of ecological epigenetics, there remain few cases that clearly link epigenetic variation in wild animal populations to evolutionary change. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Sun et al. provide such an example in white-throated sparrows-a fascinating system in which a large chromosomal rearrangement generates a "supergene" polymorphism linked to plumage colour, aggression and parenting behaviour. By combining whole genome bisulphite sequencing with RNA-sequencing and chromatin accessibility data, they show that the two alleles of this chromosomal polymorphism also exhibit substantial differences in DNA methylation levels, with implications for gene expression and transposable element activity. Their results provide a compelling case study for how genetic and epigenetic evolution proceed in concert. They also demonstrate the importance of integrating multiple types of genomic information to understand how gene regulation evolves, providing a model for future work in nonmodel species.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.16028 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Effects of POPs-induced SIRT6 alteration on intestinal mucosal barrier function: A comprehensive review.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf
January 2025
Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China; Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, China. Electronic address:
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are pervasive organic chemicals with significant environmental and ecological ramifications, extending to adverse human health effects due to their toxicity and persistence. The intestinal mucosal barrier, a sophisticated defense mechanism comprising the epithelial layer, mucosal chemistry, and cellular immunity, shields the host from external threats and fosters a symbiotic relationship with intestinal bacteria. Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6), a sirtuin family member, is pivotal in genome and telomere stability, inflammation regulation, and metabolic processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLncRNA432-miR-21-y-DAPK2 ceRNA crosstalk regulates antibacterial response in hypoxia stress through mediating mitochondrial apoptosis in teleost fish.
Int J Biol Macromol
January 2025
College of Marine Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center for Aquatic Animals Breeding and Green Efficient Aquacultural Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Ocean-Land Environmental Change and Ecological Construction, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Co-Innovation Center for Marine Bio-Industry Technology of Jiangsu Province, Lianyungang 222005, China. Electronic address:
As cold-blooded vertebrates, fish are sensitive to environmental changes. The outcome of pathogen infections in fish therefore is highly shaped by hypoxia. The epigenetic regulation of competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) bridging non-coding RNAs and mRNAs represents a promising mechanism modulating antibacterial response plus environmental stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResponse of Pedunculate Oak ( L.) to Adverse Environmental Conditions in Genetic and Dendrochronological Studies.
Plants (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Silviculture, Forest Inventory and Forest Management, G.F. Morozov Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies, 394087 Voronezh, Russia.
Pedunculate oak ( L.) is widely distributed across Europe and serves critical ecological, economic, and recreational functions. Investigating its responses to stressors such as drought, extreme temperatures, pests, and pathogens provides valuable insights into its capacity to adapt to climate change.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMaternal effects in the model system Daphnia: the ecological past meets the epigenetic future.
Heredity (Edinb)
January 2025
Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
Maternal effects have been shown to play influential roles in many evolutionary and ecological processes. However, understanding how environmental stimuli induce within-generation responses that transverse across generations remains elusive, particularly when attempting to segregate confounding effects from offspring genotypes. This review synthesizes literature regarding resource- and predation-driven maternal effects in the model system Daphnia, detailing how the maternal generation responds to the environmental stimuli and the maternal effects seen in the offspring generation(s).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSilent cells? Potential for context-dependent gene expression in mature sperm.
Proc Biol Sci
January 2025
Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
Sperm are traditionally viewed as transcriptionally and translationally silent cells. However, observations that components of the cellular machinery of gene expression are maintained in ejaculated sperm are increasingly cited as challenges to this fundamental assumption. Here, we critically evaluate these arguments and present three lines of evidence from both model and non-model systems that collectively raise the question of whether ejaculated sperm may be capable of active gene expression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!