Environmental DNA Methylation of Lymnaea Stagnalis Varies with Age and is Hypermethylated Compared to Tissue DNA
Overview
Environmental Health
Molecular Biology
Affiliations
Environmental DNA (eDNA) approaches contributing to species identifications are quickly becoming the new norm in biomonitoring and ecosystem assessments. Yet, information such as age and health state of the population, which is vital to species biomonitoring, has not been accessible from eDNA. DNA methylation has the potential to provide such information on the state of a population. Here, we measured the methylation of eDNA along with tissue DNA (tDNA) of Lymnaea stagnalis at four life stages. We demonstrate that eDNA methylation varies with age and allows distinguishing among age classes. Moreover, eDNA was globally hypermethylated in comparison to tDNA. This difference was age-specific and connected to a limited number of eDNA sites. This differential methylation pattern suggests that eDNA release with age is partially regulated through DNA methylation. Our findings help to understand mechanisms involved in eDNA release and shows the potential of eDNA methylation analysis to assess age classes. Such age class assessments will encourage future eDNA studies to assess fundamental processes of population dynamics and functioning in ecology, biodiversity conservation and impact assessments.
Environmental DNA Epigenetics Accurately Predicts the Age of Cultured Fish Larvae.
Ruiz E, Leprieur F, Sposito G, Luthi M, Schmidlin M, Panfili J Ecol Evol. 2025; 15(2):e70645.
PMID: 39944907 PMC: 11821287. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70645.
Matsuo R, Togetani A, Adisakwattana P, Yoonuan T, Phuphisut O, Limpanont Y Parasitol Res. 2024; 123(12):419.
PMID: 39724291 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08423-7.
An epigenetic toolbox for conservation biologists.
Balard A, Baltazar-Soares M, Eizaguirre C, Heckwolf M Evol Appl. 2024; 17(6):e13699.
PMID: 38832081 PMC: 11146150. DOI: 10.1111/eva.13699.
DNA Methylation Machinery in Gastropod Mollusks.
Haidar L, Georgescu M, Draghici G, Banatean-Dunea I, Nica D, Serb A Life (Basel). 2024; 14(4).
PMID: 38672807 PMC: 11050768. DOI: 10.3390/life14040537.
Mixed Patterns of Intergenerational DNA Methylation Inheritance in Acropora.
Peterson C, Scott C, Ghaffari R, Dixon G, Matz M Mol Biol Evol. 2024; 41(2).
PMID: 38243377 PMC: 11079325. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae008.