Epigenetic’s role in fish pigmentation
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1
Institute of Marine Research - CSIC, Dep. Aquatic Molecular Pathobiology, Spain
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2
University of Vigo, Dep. Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, Spain
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3
Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal-CSIC, Dep. Fish Physiolgy and Biotechnology, Spain
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4
Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Developmental Biology Programme, University of Bath, Dep. Biology and Biochemistry, United Kingdom
The agouti coat colour gene encodes a paracrine signalling molecule whose differential expression produces the characteristic dorsal-ventral pigment pattern observed in most mammals. We have recently demonstrated that this well-characterised mechanism from mammals also applies to fish with their much more complex pigment patterns. However, the developmental mechanism through which agouti acts to establish these colour differences remains unclear. The present study was undertaken to explore the molecular mechanisms that regulate agouti gene expression by in-vivo functional characterization of the agouti promoter and identification of possible putative regulatory elements that govern basal promoter activity. Specifically, the investigation was focused on the occurrence and role of CpG dinucleotides methylation in the agouti putative promoter sequence and on a possible epigenetic level of regulation of agouti expression. We report here expression analyses of eGFP expression from transgenic zebrafish containing an 8kb-agouti-Tol2-eGFP construct. eGFP expression was specifically found in the brain area and neural tube of Tol2 transposon vector transgenic embryos. Computer-based analysis revealed a putative CpG island immediately proximal to the translation start site. Global inhibition of methylation with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine promoted agouti production in association with decreasing CpG methylation. Taken together, these data identify a contributory role for DNA methylation in regulating agouti expression in zebrafish embryogenesis.
Acknowledgements
This work was funded by the Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry project AGL2008-00392/ACU and ALG2011-23581 to JR.
Keywords:
epigenetic,
agouti,
Methylation,
Zebrafish,
Promoter
Conference:
IMMR | International Meeting on Marine Research 2014, Peniche, Portugal, 10 Jul - 11 Jul, 2014.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
BLUE BIOTECH
Citation:
Cal Delgado
L,
Morán Martínez
P,
Cerda Reverter
J,
Kelsh
R and
Rotllant Moragas
J
(2014). Epigenetic’s role in fish pigmentation.
Front. Mar. Sci.
Conference Abstract:
IMMR | International Meeting on Marine Research 2014.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2014.02.00063
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Received:
25 Apr 2014;
Published Online:
18 Jul 2014.
*
Correspondence:
Miss. Laura Cal Delgado, Institute of Marine Research - CSIC, Dep. Aquatic Molecular Pathobiology, Vigo, Spain, lauracal@iim.csic.es