Epigenetic Pattern on the Human Y Chromosome Is Evolutionarily Conserved.
Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 26760298.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0146402 and PMC identifier 4711989.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
DNA methylation plays an important role for mammalian development. However, it is unclear whether the DNA methylation pattern is evolutionarily conserved. The Y chromosome serves as a powerful tool for the study of human evolution because it is transferred between males. In this study, based on deep-rooted pedigrees and the latest Y chromosome phylogenetic tree, we performed epigenetic pattern analysis of the Y chromosome from 72 donors. By comparing their respective DNA methylation level, we found that the DNA methylation pattern on the Y chromosome was stable among family members and haplogroups. Interestingly, two haplogroup-specific methylation sites were found, which were both genotype-dependent. Moreover, the African and Asian samples also had similar DNA methylation pattern with a remote divergence time. Our findings indicated that the DNA methylation pattern on the Y chromosome was conservative during human male history.
Medical subject headings
- Chromosomes, Human, Y
- Conserved Sequence
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Evolution, Molecular