Developmental Functions of the Dynamic DNA Methylome and Hydroxymethylome in the Mouse and Zebrafish: Similarities and Differences

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Alexey Ruzov¹  Peter Jessop²  Martin Gering² 

[1] Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom;School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom;

关键词: DNA methylation;    epigenetics;    5mC;    5hmC;    TET;    zebrafish;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fcell.2018.00027

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

5-methylcytosine (5mC) is the best understood DNA modification and is generally believed to be associated with repression of gene expression. Over the last decade, sequentially oxidized forms of 5mC (oxi-mCs) have been discovered within the genomes of vertebrates. Their discovery was accompanied by that of the ten-eleven translocation (TET) methylcytosine dioxygenases, the enzymes that catalyze the formation of the oxi-mCs. Although a number of studies performed on different vertebrate models and embryonic stem cells demonstrated that both TET enzymes and oxi-mCs are likely to be important for several developmental processes it is currently unclear whether their developmental roles are conserved among vertebrates. Here, we summarize recent developments in this field suggesting that biological roles of TETs/oxi-mCs may significantly differ between mice and zebrafish. Thus, although the role of TET proteins in late organogenesis has been documented for both these systems; unlike in mice the enzymatic oxidation of 5mC does not seem to be involved in zygotic reprogramming or gastrulation in zebrafish. Our analysis may provide an insight into the general principles of epigenetic regulation of animal development and cellular differentiation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown