This Fish Changes Color Using Epigenetics!

Описание: This video explains our Nature Communications paper, “DNA methylation of the endothelin receptor B makes blue fish yellow,” which uncovers a reversible epigenetic mechanism that allows a vertebrate animal to change its entire body color.

Using the African cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni, we show that a single DNA methylation mark in the promoter of the endothelin receptor B (EdnRBa) gene acts as a molecular switch controlling whether fish appear bright yellow or deep blue. Adult fish repeatedly gain and lose this epigenetic mark as they move between different visual environments, leading to coordinated changes in gene expression, pigment cell behavior, and whole-body coloration. This study provides the first example of a phenotype-scale, reversible epigenetic switch in a vertebrate. It offers new insight into phenotypic plasticity, environmental adaptation, and the evolution of color diversity in East African cichlids.

The research was conducted by Wei Fang, Danielle Blakkan, Alexandra Byrne, Gail Lee, Roya Bashier, Russell D. Fernald, and Sebastian G. Alvarado, led by the Alvarado Lab at Queens College, City University of New York, in collaboration with Stanford University and Pace University.

For more information visit:
www.alvaradolab.com

To read the full article:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s4146...