The epigenetic landscape of transgenerational acclimation to ocean warming

Ryu, Taewoo, Veilleux, Heather D., Donelson, Jennifer M., Munday, Philip L., and Ravasi, Timothy (2018) The epigenetic landscape of transgenerational acclimation to ocean warming. Nature Climate Change, 8. pp. 504-509.

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Abstract

Epigenetic inheritance is a potential mechanism by which the environment in one generation can influence the performance of future generations1. Rapid climate change threatens the survival of many organisms; however, recent studies show that some species can adjust to climate-related stress when both parents and their offspring experience the same environmental change2,3. Whether such transgenerational acclimation could have an epigenetic basis is unknown. Here, by sequencing the liver genome, methylomes and transcriptomes of the coral reef fish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus, exposed to current day (+0 °C) or future ocean temperatures (+3 °C) for one generation, two generations and incrementally across generations, we identified 2,467 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and 1,870 associated genes that respond to higher temperatures within and between generations. Of these genes, 193 were significantly correlated to the transgenerationally acclimating phenotypic trait, aerobic scope, with functions in insulin response, energy homeostasis, mitochondrial activity, oxygen consumption and angiogenesis. These genes may therefore play a key role in restoring performance across generations in fish exposed to increased temperatures associated with climate change. Our study is the first to demonstrate a possible association between DNA methylation and transgenerational acclimation to climate change in a vertebrate.

Item ID: 54294
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1758-6798
Funders: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), APEC Climate Center, South Korea, Australian Research Council (ARC), Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CE)
Projects and Grants: KAUST Competitive Research Funds OCRF-2014-CRG3-62140408
Date Deposited: 25 Jun 2018 05:25
FoR Codes: 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3105 Genetics > 310504 Epigenetics (incl. genome methylation and epigenomics) @ 40%
31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 20%
31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3199 Other biological sciences > 319902 Global change biology @ 40%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9603 Climate and Climate Change > 960305 Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change @ 100%
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