Authors: Anastasia Krivoruchko Kenneth B Storey
Publish Date: 2010/05/01
Volume: 342, Issue: 1-2, Pages: 151-161
Abstract
The importance of epigenetics has been established in many key biological processes but the relevance of this regulatory mechanism to animal survival of low oxygen conditions has never been examined To establish whether epigenetic mechanisms could be involved in natural anoxia tolerance we have examined the anoxiaresponsive expression of the transcriptional silencers histone deacetylases HDACs in tissues of a unique model for anoxia tolerance the freshwater turtle Trachemys scripta elegans Transcript and protein levels of all five HDACs rose by 13–46 and 17–35fold respectively in skeletal muscle in response to 20 h of anoxia exposure In addition HDAC activity in the muscle increased by 15fold in response to 20 h of anoxia and levels of acetylated histone H3 Lys 9 or Lys 23 decreased to 40–60 of control values The liver displayed a milder response with HDAC1 4 and 5 protein levels increasing by 1621fold after 5 h anoxia exposure acetylated histone H3 levels also decreased to 50–75 of control values Only HDAC5 responded to anoxia exposure in the heart Hdac5 transcript levels increased 21–23fold and HDAC5 protein rose by 33fold Overall our results show a tissuespecific pattern of HDAC upregulation in response to anoxia exposure in Ts elegans suggesting that these enzymes play a key role in anoxia tolerance probably by contributing to the transcriptional silencing necessary in this hypometabolic state
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