Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide methylation changes in wild great tit ( ) nestlings
Sepers B, Mateman AC, Gawehns F, Verhoeven KJF, van Oers K (2023)
Molecular Ecology 32(14): 3960-3974.
Zeitschriftenaufsatz
| Veröffentlicht | Englisch
Download
Autor*in
Sepers, BerniceUniBi
;
Mateman, A. Christa;
Gawehns, Fleur;
Verhoeven, Koen J. F.;
van Oers, Kees
![](https://pub.uni-bielefeld.de/images/icon_orcid.png)
Abstract / Bemerkung
**Abstract**
The environment experienced during early life is a crucial factor in the life of many organisms. This early life environment has been shown to have profound effects on morphology, physiology and fitness. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects are largely unknown, even though they are essential for our understanding of the processes that induce phenotypic variation in natural populations. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that has been suggested to explain such environmentally induced phenotypic changes early in life. To investigate whether DNA methylation changes are associated with experimentally induced early developmental effects, we cross‐fostered great tit (Parus major) nestlings and manipulated their brood sizes in a natural study population. We assessed experimental brood size effects on pre‐fledging biometry and behaviour. We linked this to genome‐wide DNA methylation levels of CpG sites in erythrocyte DNA, using 122 individuals and an improved epiGBS2 laboratory protocol. Brood enlargement caused developmental stress and negatively affected nestling condition, predominantly during the second half of the breeding season, when conditions are harsher. Brood enlargement, however, affected nestling DNA methylation in only one CpG site and only if the hatch date was taken into account. In conclusion, this study shows that nutritional stress in enlarged broods does not associate with direct effects on genome‐wide DNA methylation. Future studies should assess whether genome‐wide DNA methylation variation may arise later in life as a consequence of phenotypic changes during early development.
The environment experienced during early life is a crucial factor in the life of many organisms. This early life environment has been shown to have profound effects on morphology, physiology and fitness. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate these effects are largely unknown, even though they are essential for our understanding of the processes that induce phenotypic variation in natural populations. DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that has been suggested to explain such environmentally induced phenotypic changes early in life. To investigate whether DNA methylation changes are associated with experimentally induced early developmental effects, we cross‐fostered great tit (Parus major) nestlings and manipulated their brood sizes in a natural study population. We assessed experimental brood size effects on pre‐fledging biometry and behaviour. We linked this to genome‐wide DNA methylation levels of CpG sites in erythrocyte DNA, using 122 individuals and an improved epiGBS2 laboratory protocol. Brood enlargement caused developmental stress and negatively affected nestling condition, predominantly during the second half of the breeding season, when conditions are harsher. Brood enlargement, however, affected nestling DNA methylation in only one CpG site and only if the hatch date was taken into account. In conclusion, this study shows that nutritional stress in enlarged broods does not associate with direct effects on genome‐wide DNA methylation. Future studies should assess whether genome‐wide DNA methylation variation may arise later in life as a consequence of phenotypic changes during early development.
Stichworte
behaviour;
brood size;
epiGBS2;
epigenetics;
growth
Erscheinungsjahr
2023
Zeitschriftentitel
Molecular Ecology
Band
32
Ausgabe
14
Seite(n)
3960-3974
Urheberrecht / Lizenzen
ISSN
0962-1083
eISSN
1365-294X
Page URI
https://pub.uni-bielefeld.de/record/2988698
Zitieren
Sepers B, Mateman AC, Gawehns F, Verhoeven KJF, van Oers K. Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide methylation changes in wild great tit ( ) nestlings. Molecular Ecology. 2023;32(14):3960-3974.
Sepers, B., Mateman, A. C., Gawehns, F., Verhoeven, K. J. F., & van Oers, K. (2023). Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide methylation changes in wild great tit ( ) nestlings. Molecular Ecology, 32(14), 3960-3974. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16973
Sepers, Bernice, Mateman, A. Christa, Gawehns, Fleur, Verhoeven, Koen J. F., and van Oers, Kees. 2023. “Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide methylation changes in wild great tit ( ) nestlings”. Molecular Ecology 32 (14): 3960-3974.
Sepers, B., Mateman, A. C., Gawehns, F., Verhoeven, K. J. F., and van Oers, K. (2023). Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide methylation changes in wild great tit ( ) nestlings. Molecular Ecology 32, 3960-3974.
Sepers, B., et al., 2023. Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide methylation changes in wild great tit ( ) nestlings. Molecular Ecology, 32(14), p 3960-3974.
B. Sepers, et al., “Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide methylation changes in wild great tit ( ) nestlings”, Molecular Ecology, vol. 32, 2023, pp. 3960-3974.
Sepers, B., Mateman, A.C., Gawehns, F., Verhoeven, K.J.F., van Oers, K.: Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide methylation changes in wild great tit ( ) nestlings. Molecular Ecology. 32, 3960-3974 (2023).
Sepers, Bernice, Mateman, A. Christa, Gawehns, Fleur, Verhoeven, Koen J. F., and van Oers, Kees. “Developmental stress does not induce genome‐wide methylation changes in wild great tit ( ) nestlings”. Molecular Ecology 32.14 (2023): 3960-3974.
Alle Dateien verfügbar unter der/den folgenden Lizenz(en):
Creative Commons Namensnennung 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0):
Volltext(e)
Access Level
![Open access file OA](https://pub.uni-bielefeld.de/images/access_open.png)
Zuletzt Hochgeladen
2024-04-22T14:24:02Z
MD5 Prüfsumme
1cdaac88c1313feb99dcbbabf6bb8ae0