title: A functional DNA methylation system in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum.
abstract: Methylation of cytosine is one of the main epigenetic mechanisms involved in controlling gene expression. Here we show that the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) genome possesses homologues to all the DNA methyltransferases found in vertebrates, and that 0.69% (+/-0.25%) of all cytosines are methylated. Identified methylation sites are predominantly restricted to the coding sequence of genes at CpG sites. We identify twelve methylated genes, including genes that interact with juvenile hormone, a key endocrine signal in insects. Bioinformatic prediction using CpG ratios for all predicted genes suggest that a large proportion of genes are methylated within the pea aphid.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Entomology, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Floreat Park, WA, Australia. tom.walsh@csiro.au
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Brisson
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaubert-Possamai
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tagu
authors.forename: O R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D017344:Genes, Insect; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007605:Juvenile Hormones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018532:Pisum sativum / Q000469:parasitology; D010802:Phylogeny; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007605:Juvenile Hormones; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases