DNA methylation plays a crucial role during early Nasonia development

Although the role of DNA methylation in insect development is still poorly understood, the number and role of DNA methyltransferases in insects vary strongly between species. DNA methylation appears to be widely present among the social hymenoptera and functional studies in Apis have suggested a cru...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Insect molecular biology 2012-02, Vol.21 (1), p.129-138
Main Authors: Zwier, M. V, Verhulst, E. C, Zwahlen, R. D, Beukeboom, L. W, van de Zande, L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Apis
development
DNA
DNA Methylation
DNA methyltransferase
DNA Modification Methylases - genetics
DNA Modification Methylases - metabolism
Dnmt
DNMT1 protein
Embryogenesis
epigenetics
Evolutionary conservation
Female
Gastrulation
genes
Genomes
Hymenoptera
insect
insect development
Insect Proteins - genetics
Insect Proteins - metabolism
insects
Lethality
Male
maternal effect
messenger RNA
methyltransferases
mRNA
Nasonia
Nasonia vitripennis
Parasitoids
RNA Interference
RNA, Messenger - metabolism
RNAi
vertebrates
Wasps - embryology
Wasps - enzymology
Wasps - genetics
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Summary:Although the role of DNA methylation in insect development is still poorly understood, the number and role of DNA methyltransferases in insects vary strongly between species. DNA methylation appears to be widely present among the social hymenoptera and functional studies in Apis have suggested a crucial role for de novo methylation in a wide variety of developmental processes. The sequencing of three parasitoid Nasonia genomes revealed the presence of three Dnmt1 (Dnmt1a, Dnmt1b and Dnmt1c) genes and one Dnmt2 and Dnmt3 gene, suggesting a role of DNA methylation in Nasonia development. In the present study we show that in Nasonia vitripennis all Dnmt1 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and Dnmt3 mRNA are maternally provided to the embryo and, of these, Dnmt1a is essential during early embryogenesis. Lowering of maternal Dnmt1a mRNA results in embryonic lethality during the onset of gastrulation. This dependence on maternal Dnmt1a during embryogenesis in an organismal group outside the vertebrates, suggests evolutionary conservation of the function of Dnmt1 during embryogenesis.
ISSN:0962-1075
1365-2583
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2583.2011.01121.x