Meeting Abstract

P2-97   -   Changes in gene body methylation do not affect gene expression levels or gene expression plasticity Abbott, EA; Loockerman, CK*; Dixon, GB; Matz, MV; University of Texas at Austin; University of Texas at Austin; University of Texas at Austin; University of Texas at Austin coral.loockerman@utexas.edu

The function of invertebrate gene body methylation and its relationship to gene expression remains unclear. Here, we aimed to determine whether methylation has a “lock in” effect on transcription, reducing gene expression plasticity in response to environmental change by accumulating in environmentally responsive genes. To test this, corals were placed in either elevated temperature tanks, control tanks, or switched from heated to control tanks to determine how readily they can return to the baseline gene expression state. Correlation between change in methylation and change in gene expression was negligible for any comparison. There was also no association between methylation changes accumulated during two weeks of exposure to elevated temperature and the ability of a gene to return to baseline expression when a coral was switched back to the control tank. Overall, these data indicate that methylation does not regulate gene expression levels and does not act as a mechanism for altering gene expression plasticity.