MeDIP-seq reveals the features of mitochondrial genomic methylation in immature testis of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis

Abstract

In this study, the methylation of mitochondrial genome in the immature testis of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis of the Yangtze River system was determined for the first time using MeDIP-seq. Our methylated DNA fragments covered more than 99% of the mitochondrial genome in E. sinensis loaded from GenBank. There were 8 mutated bases and 42 SNPs in the crab mitochondrial genome. The methylation presented in all genes as well as in an A + T region, but less in intergenic regions in the mitochondrial genome. However, the level of methylation of most genes coding proteins and the A + T region were high. But, the majority of genes encoding tRNAs were hypomethylated, and both the rRNA genes also showed methylation of low or median frequency. Especially, the level of methylation of the intergenic regions is the lowest. Those features indicated that the methylation of DNA may play an important role in gene expressing regulation in the mitochondrial genome of immature testis in E. sinensis.

Keywords:

• Eriocheir sinensis
• mitochondrial genome
• DNA methylation
• MeDIP-seq

Acknowledgements

This work was supported under the Grant No. 31260635 by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China [31260635].