Intergenerational transfer of DNA methylation marks in the honey bee

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2017094117
• Publication Date: 2020-12-01T01:30:56Z
• Authors: Boris Yagound; Emily J. Remnant; Gabriele Buchmann; Benjamin P. Oldroyd
• Keywords: Reprogramming; RNA-Directed DNA Methylation; Bisulfite sequencing; Epigenome

The evolutionary significance of epigenetic inheritance is controversial. While marks such as DNA methylation can affect gene function and change in response to environmental conditions, their role carriers heritable information often considered anecdotal. Indeed, near-complete reprogramming, occurs during mammalian embryogenesis, a major hindrance for the transmission nongenetic between generations. Yet it remains unclear how general reprogramming across tree life. Here we investigate existence honey bee. We studied whether fathers transfer daughters through methylation. performed instrumental inseminations queens, each with four different males, retaining half male's semen whole genome bisulfite sequencing. then compared profile father's somatic tissue his daughters. found that patterns were highly conserved tissues There was much greater similarity methylomes within patrilines (i.e., father-daughter subfamilies) than colony. samples' consistently clustered by patriline Samples from same had twice many shared methylated sites times fewer differentially regions samples patrilines. Our findings indicate there no bees and, consequently, are stably transferred This points potential epigenome invertebrates mammals.