中华菊头蝠不同组织基因组DNA甲基化分析

Analysis of Genomic DNA Methylation in Different Tissues in Chinese Rufous Horseshoe Bats(Rhinolophus sinicus)

DNA甲基化在动物组织发育和分化等生物过程中发挥至关重要的作用。本研究采用荧光标记甲基化敏感扩增多态性(fluorescence-labeled methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism, F-MSAP)技术分析了中华菊头蝠(Rhinolophus sinicus)脑、心、肾、肝、肌肉、棕脂和白脂7种组织的基因组DNA甲基化模式和水平,及其组织差异性。结果表明,中华菊头蝠具有较高的总甲基化水平(平均58.5%),且组织间具有差异显著性(P=0.002);全甲基化为主要甲基化模式(平均36.8%),半甲基化也占据比较高的比例(平均21.7%),表明这两种甲基化模式在组织分化中可能均起到重要作用。相对于心、肌肉、棕脂和白脂4个组织,脑、肾和肝与之具有较显著的表观遗传差异(P<0.001),其潜在功能有待进一步深入研究。本研究为进一步深入研究翼手目动物组织发育和分化、冬眠、免疫和环境适应性的内在表观遗传机制提供了基础数据。

DNA methylation may play an important role in vital biological processes of animals, including tissue development and differentiation. In this study, the patterns and the levels of genomic DNA methylation of seven tissues in Chinese rufous horseshoe bats(Rhinolophus sinicus), those of which include the brain, the heart, the kidney, the liver, the muscle, the brown adipose tissue, and the white adipose tissue, were explored by the fluorescence-labeled methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism(F-MSAP) technique. There was a high methylation level(58.5% on average) in total methylation level and significant difference among the seven different tissues(P =0.002) in the study. Full-methylation was the major methylation pattern(36.8% on average), and the hemi-methylation pattern occupied a non-negligible level(21.7% on average), indicating that both two patterns may have a vital role in tissue differentiation. Compared with to the other four tissues, brain, kidneyand liver showed significant epigenetic differences(P<0.001), the underlying functions of which needs further investigation.Consequently, this work provided some basic data for future studies on the intrinsic epigenetic mechanisms of the tissue development and differentiation, the hibernating processes, the immunization and the environmental adaptability of Chiropteran animals.