The Epigenome of Deep-Sea Polychaetes causes rapid adaptation without NeoDarwinism

Epigenetics causes rapid adaptation without neo darwinism. Neo Darwinism is the theory of evolution that states that evolution occurs through the gradual accumulation of genetic mutations over time. Epigenetic changes, on the other hand, are changes in gene expression that do not involve changes in the DNA sequence. These changes can be caused by environmental factors, such as diet, stress, and exposure to toxins.

This article called "Third-Generation Sequencing Reveals the Adaptive Role of the Epigenome in Three Deep-Sea Polychaetes" by Maeva Perez et al. (2023) explains why.


The article investigates the role of DNA methylation in three deep-sea polychaete species: Paraescarpia echinospica, Ridgeia piscesae, and Paralvinella palmiformis. These worms are found in extreme environments, such as hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, where they are exposed to high pressure, low temperatures, and high concentrations of chemicals.

The authors used third-generation sequencing to map the DNA methylation patterns of these worms. They found that the worms have a mosaic methylome, with different regions of the genome being methylated to different degrees. This pattern is similar to that seen in other invertebrates, and suggests that DNA methylation plays a role in regulating gene expression in these animals.

The authors also examined the transcriptomic data of the worms. They found that gene body methylation is associated with the expression of housekeeping genes, which are essential for basic cellular functions. Promoter methylation, on the other hand, is associated with the silencing of genes. This suggests that DNA methylation plays a role in both activating and repressing gene expression in these worms.

The authors also found that the methylation profiles of genes involved in metabolism and stress response are conserved across the three species. This suggests that these genes are essential for the worms' survival in extreme environments.

The findings of this study provide new insights into the role of DNA methylation in the adaptation of deep-sea polychaetes to extreme environments. The authors suggest that DNA methylation may help these worms to regulate gene expression in response to the harsh conditions they experience.

In addition to the above, here are some other interesting findings from the study:

  • The authors found that the three species of worms have different methylation profiles, suggesting that DNA methylation may play a role in species-specific adaptation.

  • They also found that the methylation profiles of the worms change in response to environmental conditions, such as temperature and salinity. This suggests that DNA methylation is a dynamic process that can be used to adapt to changing conditions.

  • The authors suggest that DNA methylation may also play a role in the adaptation of deep-sea polychaetes. By allowing the worms to adapt to extreme environments, DNA methylation may have contributed to the diversification of these animals.

Overall, this study provides important new insights into the role of DNA methylation in the adaptation of deep-sea polychaetes to extreme environments. The findings of this study could have implications for our understanding of how other organisms adapt to environmental change.

Here are some additional questions that the study raises:

  • How does DNA methylation regulate gene expression in deep-sea polychaetes?

  • What are the specific genes that are regulated by DNA methylation in these worms?

  • How does DNA methylation change in response to environmental conditions?

  • What is the role of DNA methylation in the adaptation of deep-sea polychaetes?

These are just some of the questions that future research could address. The study by Perez et al. (2023) has opened up a new area of research into the role of DNA methylation in adaptation, and it is likely to lead to further insights into the evolution and ecology of deep-sea polychaetes.

Article Snippets

The roles of DNA methylation in invertebrates are poorly characterized

We fill this knowledge gap by conducting the first genome-wide survey of DNA methylation in the deep-sea polychaetes dominant in deep-sea vents and seeps

The genomes of these worms encode all the key enzymes of the DNA methylation metabolism and possess a mosaic methylome similar to that of other invertebrates.

Transcriptomic data of these polychaetes support the hypotheses that gene body methylation strengthens the expression of housekeeping genes and that promoter methylation acts as a silencing mechanism but not the hypothesis that DNA methylation suppresses the activity of transposable elements.

The conserved epigenetic profiles of genes responsible for maintaining homeostasis under extreme hydrostatic pressure suggest DNA methylation plays an important adaptive role in these worms.

At the individual and population levels, differences in epigenetic makeup have ecological and evolutionary repercussions.

the genomes of invertebrates display wide variations among species in terms of how much and where DNA methylation occur.

Such contrasts in methylation patterns between vertebrates and invertebrates suggest different functions and evolutionary histories

In hydrothermal vents, the environmental conditions can drastically change in a span of a few centimeters and within minutes

The diversity of their phylogenetic and life history traits and the acute variability of conditions in their habitats make these segmented worms exceptional models for the investigation of how species use different epigenetic traits to cope with variable and unpredictable environments.

the present study provides the first genome-wide methylome survey of three deep-sea polychaete worms

the latter displays a great degree of phenotypic plasticity associated with the different environments it settles, suggesting a unique epigenetically driven polyphenism in this species

The three following hypothesis on the putative roles of DNA methylation were tested: 1) the methylation of TEs represses their activity, 2) DNA methylation located within gene bodies (i.e., the transcriptional region which includes both introns and exons) positively affects their expression, and 3) promoter methylation acts as a gene silencing mechanism

we compared the epigenetic profiles of orthologous genes across the three species to identify putative epigenetic adaptation their deep-sea environment.

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