Background: Organisms that have only the DNA methyltransferase 2 (Dnmt2) to mediate the DNA methylation are called "Dnmt2-only" and they have been investigated in recent surveys. Drosophila is one of the “Dnmt2-only” organisms and is also an ideal model for Dnmt2 research. However, the biological function of the Dnmt2 protein is still uncertain. Some studies have pointed to a putative role during the early stages of invertebrate development. In this work, we present our findings on the Dnmt2 expression in D. willistoni, a neotropical species of large ecological versatility and peculiar molecular features. Results: By RT-PCR and in situ hybridization we demonstrate here the presence of transcripts not only in the early stages of development, but also during the oogenesis. Using qPCR analysis, we verify that Dnmt2 transcription level is higher during early stages of development, though transcription levels are subtly higher in D. willistoni adults than in D. melanogaster levels found in previous studies. We also mapped the Dnmt2 on the IIL chromosome arm (Muller’s B element) of D. willistoni, near at the end of the singular telomeric region. Conclusions: Our findings give insights on the possible biological function of Dnmt2-related processes associated with the development and differentiation of oocytes since germinative tissue formation seems to require a higher expression of Dnmt2. The Dnmt2 localization in the subtelomeric region brings up a series of issues that involve the peculiar characteristics of D. willistoni Dnmt2 enzyme, like evolutionary patterns and the epigenetic phenomena of sex-specific methylation.

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Posted 14 May, 2019
Posted 14 May, 2019
Background: Organisms that have only the DNA methyltransferase 2 (Dnmt2) to mediate the DNA methylation are called "Dnmt2-only" and they have been investigated in recent surveys. Drosophila is one of the “Dnmt2-only” organisms and is also an ideal model for Dnmt2 research. However, the biological function of the Dnmt2 protein is still uncertain. Some studies have pointed to a putative role during the early stages of invertebrate development. In this work, we present our findings on the Dnmt2 expression in D. willistoni, a neotropical species of large ecological versatility and peculiar molecular features. Results: By RT-PCR and in situ hybridization we demonstrate here the presence of transcripts not only in the early stages of development, but also during the oogenesis. Using qPCR analysis, we verify that Dnmt2 transcription level is higher during early stages of development, though transcription levels are subtly higher in D. willistoni adults than in D. melanogaster levels found in previous studies. We also mapped the Dnmt2 on the IIL chromosome arm (Muller’s B element) of D. willistoni, near at the end of the singular telomeric region. Conclusions: Our findings give insights on the possible biological function of Dnmt2-related processes associated with the development and differentiation of oocytes since germinative tissue formation seems to require a higher expression of Dnmt2. The Dnmt2 localization in the subtelomeric region brings up a series of issues that involve the peculiar characteristics of D. willistoni Dnmt2 enzyme, like evolutionary patterns and the epigenetic phenomena of sex-specific methylation.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6
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