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Resource base influences genome-wide DNA methylation levels in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus).

Publication ,  Journal Article
Lea, AJ; Altmann, J; Alberts, SC; Tung, J
Published in: Molecular ecology
April 2016

Variation in resource availability commonly exerts strong effects on fitness-related traits in wild animals. However, we know little about the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects, or about their persistence over time. To address these questions, we profiled genome-wide whole-blood DNA methylation levels in two sets of wild baboons: (i) 'wild-feeding' baboons that foraged naturally in a savanna environment and (ii) 'Lodge' baboons that had ready access to spatially concentrated human food scraps, resulting in high feeding efficiency and low daily travel distances. We identified 1014 sites (0.20% of sites tested) that were differentially methylated between wild-feeding and Lodge baboons, providing the first evidence that resource availability shapes the epigenome in a wild mammal. Differentially methylated sites tended to occur in contiguous stretches (i.e., in differentially methylated regions or DMRs), in promoters and enhancers, and near metabolism-related genes, supporting their functional importance in gene regulation. In agreement, reporter assay experiments confirmed that methylation at the largest identified DMR, located in the promoter of a key glycolysis-related gene, was sufficient to causally drive changes in gene expression. Intriguingly, all dispersing males carried a consistent epigenetic signature of their membership in a wild-feeding group, regardless of whether males dispersed into or out of this group as adults. Together, our findings support a role for DNA methylation in mediating ecological effects on phenotypic traits in the wild and emphasize the dynamic environmental sensitivity of DNA methylation levels across the life course.

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Published In

Molecular ecology

DOI

EISSN

1365-294X

ISSN

0962-1083

Publication Date

April 2016

Volume

25

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1681 / 1696

Related Subject Headings

  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Phenotype
  • Papio cynocephalus
  • Male
  • Female
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Environment
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic
 

Citation

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Lea, A. J., Altmann, J., Alberts, S. C., & Tung, J. (2016). Resource base influences genome-wide DNA methylation levels in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus). Molecular Ecology, 25(8), 1681–1696. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.13436
Lea, Amanda J., Jeanne Altmann, Susan C. Alberts, and Jenny Tung. “Resource base influences genome-wide DNA methylation levels in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus).Molecular Ecology 25, no. 8 (April 2016): 1681–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.13436.
Lea AJ, Altmann J, Alberts SC, Tung J. Resource base influences genome-wide DNA methylation levels in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus). Molecular ecology. 2016 Apr;25(8):1681–96.
Lea, Amanda J., et al. “Resource base influences genome-wide DNA methylation levels in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus).Molecular Ecology, vol. 25, no. 8, Apr. 2016, pp. 1681–96. Epmc, doi:10.1111/mec.13436.
Lea AJ, Altmann J, Alberts SC, Tung J. Resource base influences genome-wide DNA methylation levels in wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus). Molecular ecology. 2016 Apr;25(8):1681–1696.
Journal cover image

Published In

Molecular ecology

DOI

EISSN

1365-294X

ISSN

0962-1083

Publication Date

April 2016

Volume

25

Issue

8

Start / End Page

1681 / 1696

Related Subject Headings

  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Phenotype
  • Papio cynocephalus
  • Male
  • Female
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Epigenesis, Genetic
  • Environment
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic