Hydroxymethylation changes during early embryonic development in zebrafish

Artem Nedoluzhko¹, Paula Berrutti², Igo GuimarГЈes³, Ioannis Konstantinidis⁴, Igor Babiak⁵, Jorge M.O. Fernandes^6
1Nord University, artem.nedoluzhko@nord.no
²Nord University, paula.d.berrutti@nord.no
³Universidade Federal de GoiГЎs, igoguimaraes@ufg.br
⁴Nord University, ioannis.konstantinidis@nord.no
⁵Nord University, igor.s.babiak@nord.no
⁶Nord University, jorge.m.fernandes@nord.no

A large number of studies in organisms across the eukaryotic phyla have shown that DNA 5-methylcytosine (5mC) modification is one of many mechanisms that suppress gene expression.

Cytosine hydroxymethylation has been described during the past years; this DNA modification is increasingly recognized as an important component of epigenetic regulation in eukaryotes.

In the present study, we investigated if hydroxymethylation may be involved in fish embryonic development and demonstrated for the first time at a genome-wide level and single nucleotide resolution the hydroxymethylome changes during zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryogenesis from one-cell stage to hatching. DNA hydroxymethylation was profiled by reduced representation hydroxymethylation profiling (RRHP), as shortly described in Fig. 1.

Taken together with recently published data on 5-methylcytosine (5mC) modification events in D. rerio, our data unveil a new role for DNA hydroxymethylation in epigenetic regulation of fish embryonic development.