Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms may provide a novel prospective of bobcat (Lynx rufus) adaptation to habitat loss/fragmentation. Previous research has focused on bobcat behavior and genetics, but epigenetics has not been studied in bobcat. The aim of this study was to determine the quantity of global DNA methylation in the liver of 30 bobcats. DNA was extracted from liver samples obtained from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The percent of global DNA methylation was quantified and calculated using the MethylFlashTM Methylated DNA 5-mC Quantification Kit from Epigentek (Farmingdale, NY, USA). Age, sex, and carcass weight data were collected at sampling and analyzed with percent of global DNA methylation. Global DNA methylation was found to range from 0.46% to 2.76%. Age ranged from <1 to 12 years old and weight ranged from 3.18 to 13.61 kg. Further analysis of differential methylation may provide insight into novel means of bobcat conservation within different regions of Vermont. These results reinforce the need for genome-wide epigenetic studies in conservation biology.
Highlights
Bobcats are at risk for population decline due to increased vulnerability to habitat fragmentation, road mortality and habitat loss (Donovan et al 2011; Hunting_and_Trapping Vermont_Fish_and_Wildlife; Team 2015; Woolf et al 2002)
No significant differences were found in DNA methylation between each sex, maturity, or sex and maturity interactions (p
No correlation was found between maturity and age, weight, or DNA methylation. This is the first report on DNA methylation in bobcat
Summary
Bobcats are at risk for population decline due to increased vulnerability to habitat fragmentation, road mortality and habitat loss (Donovan et al 2011; Hunting_and_Trapping Vermont_Fish_and_Wildlife; Team 2015; Woolf et al 2002). Genetic research in bobcats far has been focused on identifying dispersal patterns and levels of genetic diversity within specific populations to understand the genetic effects of habitat loss (Anderson et al 2015; Diefenbach et al 2015; Janecka et al 2016; Janečka et al 2007). This use of genetic research has proven to be especially informative for conservation management decisions (Allendorf et al 2010). DNA methylation is a type of epigenetic modification classified as the addition of a methyl group on the fifth position of a cytosine nucleotide resulting in a 5-methylcytosine (5-mC)
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