Epigenetic effects of environmental contaminants on the skin of the fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean basin
The phenotypic plasticity of many organisms is mediated in part by epigenetics, the heritable changes in gene activity that occur without any alterations to DNA sequence. A major mechanism is the DNA methylation (DNAm). Hypo- and hypermethylation are generalized responses to control gene expression...
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ftunivsiena:oai:usiena-air.unisi.it:11365/1123597 2024-01-28T10:05:43+01:00 Epigenetic effects of environmental contaminants on the skin of the fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean basin Mancia Annalaura Abelli Luigi Baini Matteo Maria Cristina Fossi Panti Cristina Manel Gazo, Carla A. Chicote, Ann Pabst, Mario Aqcuarone Mancia, Annalaura Abelli, Luigi Baini, Matteo Fossi, MARIA CRISTINA Panti, Cristina 2019 STAMPA http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1123597 eng eng ispartofbook:World Marine Mammal Conference - Book of Abstract World Marine Mammal Conference - Book of Abstract firstpage:436 lastpage:436 numberofpages:1 http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1123597 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObject 2019 ftunivsiena 2024-01-02T23:24:13Z The phenotypic plasticity of many organisms is mediated in part by epigenetics, the heritable changes in gene activity that occur without any alterations to DNA sequence. A major mechanism is the DNA methylation (DNAm). Hypo- and hypermethylation are generalized responses to control gene expression but recent studies have demonstrated that classes of contaminants could mark specific DNAm signatures, therefore be used to assess prior environmental exposure. We sampled skin and blubber from 6 fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) individuals living in the northern Mediterranean Sea. Blubber was analyzed for Organochlorines levels while genomic DNA extracted from the skin of the animals with the lowest (mean value = 19 µg/g lipid basis, l.b.) (group 1, n=3) and the highest (mean value = 53 µg/g l.b.) (group 2, n=3) levels of contaminants were used for DNAm profiling through reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). We tested the hypothesis that the differences in the methylation patterns observed comparing the 2 groups are linked to environmental contaminant exposure and load in the whale tissues.While pronounced variations in CHH and CHG methylation (where H is any base except G) were not observed, the CpGs showed 32683 differentially methylated Cs in promoters and/or exon/intron regions of genes (p <0.05, mean coverage = 8.5), accounting for 13% of the whole set. Gene Ontology indicated that DNAm affected genes dealt with cell differentiation and function in nervous, endocrine, immune, circulatory and muscular systems. qPCR on a larger set of skin samples with known contamination loads correlated differential expression of selected genes with DNAm changes. Eco-epigenetics have extraordinary potential to advance our understanding of biological responses to environmental challenges, and yield sensitive tools for pollution biomonitoring and ecotoxicity assessment. Conference Object Fin whale Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air |
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Open Polar |
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Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air |
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ftunivsiena |
language |
English |
description |
The phenotypic plasticity of many organisms is mediated in part by epigenetics, the heritable changes in gene activity that occur without any alterations to DNA sequence. A major mechanism is the DNA methylation (DNAm). Hypo- and hypermethylation are generalized responses to control gene expression but recent studies have demonstrated that classes of contaminants could mark specific DNAm signatures, therefore be used to assess prior environmental exposure. We sampled skin and blubber from 6 fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) individuals living in the northern Mediterranean Sea. Blubber was analyzed for Organochlorines levels while genomic DNA extracted from the skin of the animals with the lowest (mean value = 19 µg/g lipid basis, l.b.) (group 1, n=3) and the highest (mean value = 53 µg/g l.b.) (group 2, n=3) levels of contaminants were used for DNAm profiling through reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). We tested the hypothesis that the differences in the methylation patterns observed comparing the 2 groups are linked to environmental contaminant exposure and load in the whale tissues.While pronounced variations in CHH and CHG methylation (where H is any base except G) were not observed, the CpGs showed 32683 differentially methylated Cs in promoters and/or exon/intron regions of genes (p <0.05, mean coverage = 8.5), accounting for 13% of the whole set. Gene Ontology indicated that DNAm affected genes dealt with cell differentiation and function in nervous, endocrine, immune, circulatory and muscular systems. qPCR on a larger set of skin samples with known contamination loads correlated differential expression of selected genes with DNAm changes. Eco-epigenetics have extraordinary potential to advance our understanding of biological responses to environmental challenges, and yield sensitive tools for pollution biomonitoring and ecotoxicity assessment. |
author2 |
Manel Gazo, Carla A. Chicote, Ann Pabst, Mario Aqcuarone Mancia, Annalaura Abelli, Luigi Baini, Matteo Fossi, MARIA CRISTINA Panti, Cristina |
format |
Conference Object |
author |
Mancia Annalaura Abelli Luigi Baini Matteo Maria Cristina Fossi Panti Cristina |
spellingShingle |
Mancia Annalaura Abelli Luigi Baini Matteo Maria Cristina Fossi Panti Cristina Epigenetic effects of environmental contaminants on the skin of the fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean basin |
author_facet |
Mancia Annalaura Abelli Luigi Baini Matteo Maria Cristina Fossi Panti Cristina |
author_sort |
Mancia Annalaura |
title |
Epigenetic effects of environmental contaminants on the skin of the fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean basin |
title_short |
Epigenetic effects of environmental contaminants on the skin of the fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean basin |
title_full |
Epigenetic effects of environmental contaminants on the skin of the fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean basin |
title_fullStr |
Epigenetic effects of environmental contaminants on the skin of the fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean basin |
title_full_unstemmed |
Epigenetic effects of environmental contaminants on the skin of the fin whale (Balenoptera physalus) in the Mediterranean basin |
title_sort |
epigenetic effects of environmental contaminants on the skin of the fin whale (balenoptera physalus) in the mediterranean basin |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1123597 |
genre |
Fin whale |
genre_facet |
Fin whale |
op_relation |
ispartofbook:World Marine Mammal Conference - Book of Abstract World Marine Mammal Conference - Book of Abstract firstpage:436 lastpage:436 numberofpages:1 http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1123597 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
_version_ |
1789332188214329344 |