Dnmt1 is essential for egg production and embryo viability in the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus
Dnmt1 is essential for egg production and embryo viability in the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus
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DOI：
10.1186/s13072-018-0246-5
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发表时间：
2019-01-07
影响因子：
3.9
通讯作者：
Schmitz, Robert J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Bewick, Adam J.;Sanchez, Zachary;Schmitz, Robert J.
由于缺乏突变和/或遗传学研究，昆虫中胞嘧啶(DNA)甲基化的功能仍不明确。结果我们通过实验操作为维持DNA甲基转移酶1(Dnmt1)在昆虫中的功能作用提供了证据。通过RNA干扰(RNAi)，我们成功地在转录后敲除了半翅目食心虫卵巢组织中的Dnmt1。缺乏Dnmt1的个体，以及随后的DNA甲基化，都无法繁殖。卵子死亡，数量减少，滤泡上皮细胞核结构异常。从基因或转座子元件体内消除DNA甲基化并没有揭示出与体细胞中稳定的mRNA水平有直接的因果联系。这些结果揭示了Dnmt1的一个似乎不依赖于直接控制基因表达的重要功能。结论本研究为Dnmt1在卵子生产和胚胎存活中的功能提供了直接的实验证据，并揭示了DNA甲基化在控制扁平线虫基因表达中的微不足道的作用。
BackgroundThe function of cytosine (DNA) methylation in insects remains inconclusive due to a lack of mutant and/or genetic studies.ResultsHere, we provide evidence for the functional role of the maintenance DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) in an insect using experimental manipulation. Through RNA interference (RNAi), we successfully posttranscriptionally knocked down Dnmt1 in ovarian tissue of the hemipteran Oncopeltus fasciatus (the large milkweed bug). Individuals depleted for Dnmt1, and subsequently DNA methylation, failed to reproduce. Eggs were inviable and declined in number, and nuclei structure of follicular epithelium was aberrant. Erasure of DNA methylation from gene or transposon element bodies did not reveal a direct causal link to steady-state mRNA levelsin somatic cells. These results reveal an important function of Dnmt1 seemingly not contingent on directly controlling gene expression.ConclusionsThis study provides direct experimental evidence for a functional role of Dnmt1 in egg production and embryo viability and uncovers a trivial role, if any, for DNA methylation in control of gene expression in O. fasciatus.