A comparative methylome analysis reveals conservation and divergence of DNA methylation patterns and functions in vertebrates

• DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01270-x
• Publication Date: 2022-03-23T02:02:50Z
• Authors: Hala Al Adhami; Anaïs Flore Bardet; Michael Dumas; Elouan Cleroux; Sylvain Guibert; Patricia Fauque; Hervé Acloque; Michael Weber
• Keywords: Divergence (linguistics)

Cytosine DNA methylation is a heritable epigenetic mark present in most eukaryotic groups. While the patterns and functions of have been extensively studied mouse human, their conservation other vertebrates remains poorly explored. In this study, we interrogated distribution function primary fibroblasts seven vertebrate species including bio-medical models livestock (human, mouse, rabbit, dog, cow, pig, chicken).Our data highlight both divergence functions. We show that chicken genome hypomethylated compared to vertebrates. Furthermore, higher frequency CpG-rich DNA. reveal large unmethylated valleys associated with X-chromosome inactivation through evolution make predictions conserved sets imprinted genes across mammals. Finally, using chemical inhibition methylation, silencing germline endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are vertebrates.Our properties genomes but at same time point differences between species.