Wild epigenetics: insights from epigenetic studies on natural populations

Abstract

Epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs are increasingly targeted in studies of natural populations. Here, I review some of the insights gained from this research, examine some of the methods currently in use and discuss some of the challenges that researchers working on natural populations are likely to face when probing epigenetic mechanisms. While studies supporting the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in generating phenotypic variation in natural populations are amassing, many of these studies are currently correlative in nature. Thus, while empirical data point to widespread contributions of epigenetic mechanisms in generating phenotypic variation, there are still concerns as to whether epigenetic variation is instead ultimately controlled by genetic variation. Disentangling these two sources of variation will be a key to resolving the debate about the importance of epigenetic mechanisms, and studies on natural populations that partition the relative contribution of genetic and epigenetic factors to phenotypic variation can play an important role in this debate.

Keywords: DNA methylation; epigenetic variation; genetic variation; histone modifications; natural populations; phenotypic variation.

Figure 1.

Environmental factors modulate both genetic and epigenetic variation which in concert with the environment produce phenotypic variation in the population. (Online version in colour.)