@article {4418, title = {Regulation of Hox orthologues in the oyster Crassostrea gigas evidences a functional role for promoter DNA methylation in an invertebrate.}, journal = {FEBS Lett}, volume = {589}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Jun 4}, pages = {1459-66}, abstract = {

DNA methylation within promoter regions (PRDM) controls vertebrate early gene transcription and thereby development, but is neglected outside this group. However, epigenetic features in the oyster Crassostrea gigas suggest functional significance of PDRM in invertebrates. To investigate this, reporter constructs containing in vitro methylated oyster Hox gene promoters were transfected into oyster embryos. The influence of in vivo methylation was studied using bisulfite sequencing and DNA methyltransferase inhibition during development. Our results demonstrate that methylation controls the transcriptional activity of the promoters investigated, unraveling a functional role for PRDM in a lophotrochozoan, an important finding regarding the evolution of epigenetic regulation.

}, keywords = {Animals, Azacitidine, CHO Cells, Crassostrea, Cricetinae, Cricetulus, DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase, DNA Methylation, Embryo, Nonmammalian, Enzyme Inhibitors, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Homeodomain Proteins, Invertebrates, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Transfection}, issn = {1873-3468}, doi = {10.1016/j.febslet.2015.04.043}, author = {Saint-Carlier, Emma and Guillaume Rivi{\`e}re} } @article {3394, title = {The Jumonji gene family in Crassostrea gigas suggests evolutionary conservation of Jmj-C histone demethylases orthologues in the oyster gametogenesis and development.}, journal = {Gene}, volume = {538}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Mar 15}, pages = {164-75}, abstract = {

Jumonji (Jmj) proteins are histone demethylases, which control the identity of stem cells. Jmj genes were characterized from plants to mammals where they have been implicated in the epigenetic regulation of development. Despite the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas representing one of the most important aquaculture resources worldwide, the molecular mechanisms governing the embryogenesis and reproduction of this lophotrochozoan species remain poorly understood. However, annotations in the C. gigas EST library suggested the presence of putative Jumonji genes, raising the question of the conservation of this family of histone demethylases in the oyster. Using Primer walking, 5{\textquoteright}-RACE PCR and in silico analyses, we characterized nine Jumonji orthologues in the oyster, called Cg-Jmj, bearing conserved domains critical for putative histone demethylase activity. Phylogenic analyses revealed that oyster Jumonji cluster into two distinct groups: {\textquoteright}single-domain Jmj{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteright}multi-domain Jmj{\textquoteright}, and define 8 subgroups corresponding to each cognate orthologues in metazoans. RT-qPCR investigations showed specific regulations of Cg-Jmj mRNAs during the early development and along the reproduction cycle. Furthermore, in situ and in toto hybridizations indicate that oyster Jumonji genes are transcribed mostly within the gonad in adult oysters whereas they display a ubiquitous expression during embryonic and larval development. Our study demonstrates the presence of nine Jumonji orthologues in the oyster C. gigas. Their domain conservation and their expression profile suggest an implication during reproduction and development, questioning about the epigenetic regulation by histone methylation in lophotrochozoans.

}, keywords = {Animals, Base Sequence, Conserved Sequence, Crassostrea, Evolution, Molecular, Gametogenesis, Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental, Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases, Molecular Sequence Data, Multigene Family, RNA, Messenger}, issn = {1879-0038}, doi = {10.1016/j.gene.2013.12.016}, author = {Alexandre Fellous and Pascal Favrel and Guo, Ximing and Guillaume Rivi{\`e}re} }