title: Reversible switching between epigenetic states in honeybee behavioral subcastes.
abstract: In honeybee societies, distinct caste phenotypes are created from the same genotype, suggesting a role for epigenetics in deriving these behaviorally different phenotypes. We found no differences in DNA methylation between irreversible worker and queen castes, but substantial differences between nurses and forager subcastes. Reverting foragers back to nurses reestablished methylation levels for a majority of genes and provides, to the best of our knowledge, the first evidence in any organism of reversible epigenetic changes associated with behavior.
authors.affiliation: Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Herb
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wolschin
authors.forename: Kasper D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Aryee
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langmead
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Irizarry
authors.forename: Gro V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Amdam
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Feinberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000235:genetics; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D057890:Epigenomics; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins