title: The role of DNA methylation during anoxia tolerance in a freshwater turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans).
abstract: Oxygen deprivation is a lethal stress that only a few animals can tolerate for extended periods. This study focuses on analyzing the role of DNA methylation in aiding natural anoxia tolerance in a champion vertebrate anaerobe, the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans). We examined the relative expression and total enzymatic activity of four DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT2, DNMT3a and DNMT3b), two methyl-binding domain proteins (MBD1 and MBD2), and relative genomic levels of 5-methylcytosine under control, 5 h anoxic, and 20 h anoxic conditions in liver, heart, and white skeletal muscle (n = 4, p < 0.05). In liver, protein expression of DNMT1, DNMT2, MBD1, and MBD2 rose significantly by two- to fourfold after 5 h anoxic submergence compared to normoxic-control conditions. In heart, 5 h anoxia submergence resulted in a 1.4-fold increase in DNMT3a levels and a significant decrease in MBD1 and MBD2 levels to ~30 % of control values. In white muscle, DNMT3a and DNMT3b increased threefold and MBD1 levels increased by 50 % in response to 5 h anoxia. Total DNMT activity rose by 0.6-2.0-fold in liver and white muscle and likewise global 5mC levels significantly increased in liver and white muscle under 5 and 20 h anoxia. The results demonstrate an overall increase in DNA methylation, DNMT protein expression and enzymatic activity in response to 5 and 20 h anoxia in liver and white muscle indicating a potential downregulation of gene expression via this epigenetic mechanism during oxygen deprivation.
authors: Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.
authors: Sanoji
authors: S
authors: Wijenayake
authors: Department of Biology, Department of Chemistry, Canada Research Chair in Molecular Physiology, Institute of Biochemistry, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada. kenneth_storey@carleton.ca.
authors: Kenneth B
authors: KB
authors: Storey
mesh_terms: D044503:5-Methylcytosine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000662:veterinary; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D014426:Turtles / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C115368:MBD2 protein; D044503:5-Methylcytosine; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases
keywords: Anoxia; DNA methyltransferases; Epigenetics; Metabolic rate depression; Methyl-binding proteins; Trachemys scripta elegans