title: Absence of hypomethylation and LINE-1 amplification in a white x black rhinoceros hybrid.
abstract: Genomic stress resulting from the interspecific hybridization of marsupials has been shown to lead to hypomethylation and transposable element over-amplification. Here we investigated both methylation status and transposable element (LINE-1) activity in an F1 hybrid between the black (Diceros bicornis) and white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). Our data show that in this instance the hybrid genome was not characterised by gross hypomethylation and LINE-1 over-amplification thus extending previous investigations on eutherian mammals. These findings underscore observations that wide-scale genomic instability involving hypomethylation and mobile element release may be marsupial specific phenomena within Mammalia.
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa.
authors.forename: Gauthier
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dobigny
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Terence J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D019175:DNA Methylation; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D016678:Genome; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D020084:Long Interspersed Nucleotide Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D010527:Perissodactyla / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015183:Restriction Mapping