English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Background  The function of cytosine (DNA) methylation in insects remains inconclusive due to a lack of mutant and/or genetic studies.    Results  Here, we provide evidence for the functional role of the maintenance DNA methyltransferase 1 ( Dnmt1 ) in an insect using experimental manipulation. Through RNA interference (RNAi), we successfully posttranscriptionally knocked down  Dnmt1  in ovarian tissue of the hemipteran  Oncopeltus fasciatus  (the large milkweed bug). Individuals depleted for  Dnmt1 , and subsequently DNA methylation, failed to reproduce. Eggs were inviable and declined in number, and nuclei structure of follicular epithelium was aberrant. Erasure of DNA methylation from gene or transposon element bodies did not reveal a direct causal link to steady-state mRNA levels in somatic cells. These results reveal an important function of  Dnmt1  seemingly not contingent on directly controlling gene expression.    Conclusions  This study provides direct experimental evidence for a functional role of  Dnmt1  in egg production and embryo viability and uncovers a trivial role, if any, for DNA methylation in control of gene expression in  O. fasciatus .    Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (10.1186/s13072-018-0246-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Dnmt1 is essential for egg production and embryo viability in the large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus