(2020)), with typically less than 3% of cytosines methylated ( Glastad et al., 2019). This finding was surprising given that in comparison with mammals and plants, insect genomes have sparse methylation mainly restricted to exons of transcribed genes (although see Lewis et al. However, recently, it has been shown to be important in sexual dimorphism in some hemipteran insects ( Bain et al., 2021 Mathers et al., 2019). These mechanisms result in sex-biased gene expression, which is generally thought to underlie most sex-specific differentiation ( Ledón-Rettig et al., 2017).ĭNA methylation of cytosines, one of the most studied and conserved epigenetic modifications, is a important mechanism for regulating patterns of gene expression in some species, yet its role in shaping sex-specific expression in insects remains unclear. Sexual dimorphisms between males and females have been associated with a number of genomic processes across taxa such as genetic differences, e.g., sex chromosomes ( Mank, 2009), alternative splicing ( Wexler et al., 2019), genomic imprinting ( Zou et al., 2020), and epigenetic mechanisms ( Bain et al., 2021). Sexual dimorphisms in behavior, morphology, and physiology are widespread across sexually reproducing organisms, oftentimes producing dramatic phenotypic differences between sexes.
citri methylome to some other insect species, these methods could be applicable across agricultural insect pests.ĭiaphorina citri, sexual dimorphism, X chromosome, DNA methylation, sex-biased expression, transposable elements Our findings lay the groundwork for the development of novel epigenetic-based pest control methods, and given the similarity of the D. There also appears to be no direct relationship between differential DNA methylation and differential gene expression. Overall, DNA methylation profiles are similar between the sexes but with a small number of differentially methylated genes found to be involved in sex differentiation. citri, finding low genome-wide levels, which is unusual for an hemipteran species, as well as evidence for both promoter and TE methylation.
We have also characterized the methylome of D. We find a large number of male-biased genes on the autosomes and a depletion of such on the X chromosome. citri and investigate differences in the transcription and DNA methylation landscapes between adult virgin males and females.
The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is a major vector for the causative agents of Huanglongbing (HLB), which presents an unparalleled challenge to citrus production worldwide.
The relationship of DNA methylation and sex-biased gene expression is of high interest, it allows research into mechanisms of sexual dimorphism and the development of potential novel strategies for insect pest control.
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