DNMT1 mutant ants develop normally but have disrupted oogenesis.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37072475.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-37945-4 and PMC identifier 10113331.
- 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
Although DNA methylation is an important gene regulatory mechanism in mammals, its function in arthropods remains poorly understood. Studies in eusocial insects have argued for its role in caste development by regulating gene expression and splicing. However, such findings are not always consistent across studies, and have therefore remained controversial. Here we use CRISPR/Cas9 to mutate the maintenance DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 in the clonal raider ant, Ooceraea biroi. Mutants have greatly reduced DNA methylation, but no obvious developmental phenotypes, demonstrating that, unlike mammals, ants can undergo normal development without DNMT1 or DNA methylation. Additionally, we find no evidence of DNA methylation regulating caste development. However, mutants are sterile, whereas in wild-type ants, DNMT1 is localized to the ovaries and maternally provisioned into nascent oocytes. This supports the idea that DNMT1 plays a crucial but unknown role in the insect germline.
Medical subject headings
- Ants