Experimental Parasite Infection Causes Genome-Wide Changes in DNA Methylation
| Autor: | Kostas Sagonas, Britta S. Meyer, Joshka Kaufmann, Tobias L. Lenz, Christophe Eizaguirre, Robert Häsler |
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| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Male
0106 biological sciences Three-spined stickleback Camallanina Cellular differentiation Biology AcademicSubjects/SCI01180 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Genome Parasite Load 03 medical and health sciences host–parasite interactions Genetics Animals Parasite hosting Epigenetics Molecular Biology Gene Discoveries three-spined stickleback Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics 030304 developmental biology 0303 health sciences DNA methylation epigenetics reduced representation bisulfite sequencing AcademicSubjects/SCI01130 biology.organism_classification Smegmamorpha Phenotype Host-Pathogen Interactions Genetic Fitness Adaptation |
| Zdroj: | Molecular Biology and Evolution |
| ISSN: | 1537-1719 0737-4038 |
| Popis: | Parasites are arguably among the strongest drivers of natural selection, constraining hosts to evolve resistance and tolerance mechanisms. Although, the genetic basis of adaptation to parasite infection has been widely studied, little is known about how epigenetic changes contribute to parasite resistance and eventually, adaptation. Here, we investigated the role of host DNA methylation modifications to respond to parasite infections. In a controlled infection experiment, we used the three-spined stickleback fish, a model species for host–parasite studies, and their nematode parasite Camallanus lacustris. We showed that the levels of DNA methylation are higher in infected fish. Results furthermore suggest correlations between DNA methylation and shifts in key fitness and immune traits between infected and control fish, including respiratory burst and functional trans-generational traits such as the concentration of motile sperm. We revealed that genes associated with metabolic, developmental, and regulatory processes (cell death and apoptosis) were differentially methylated between infected and control fish. Interestingly, genes such as the neuropeptide FF receptor 2 and the integrin alpha 1 as well as molecular pathways including the Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation were hypermethylated in infected fish, suggesting parasite-mediated repression mechanisms of immune responses. Altogether, we demonstrate that parasite infection contributes to genome-wide DNA methylation modifications. Our study brings novel insights into the evolution of vertebrate immunity and suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are complementary to genetic responses against parasite-mediated selection. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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