A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
An epigenetic toolbox for conservation biologists
Authors: Balard, Alice; Baltazar-Soares, Miguel; Eizaguirre, Christophe; Heckwolf, Melanie J.
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Evolutionary Applications
Journal name in source: Evolutionary applications
Journal acronym: Evol Appl
Article number: e13699
Volume: 17
Issue: 6
eISSN: 1752-4571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13699(external)
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13699(external)
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/454779091(external)
Ongoing climatic shifts and increasing anthropogenic pressures demand an efficient delineation of conservation units and accurate predictions of populations' resilience and adaptive potential. Molecular tools involving DNA sequencing are nowadays routinely used for these purposes. Yet, most of the existing tools focusing on sequence-level information have shortcomings in detecting signals of short-term ecological relevance. Epigenetic modifications carry valuable information to better link individuals, populations, and species to their environment. Here, we discuss a series of epigenetic monitoring tools that can be directly applied to various conservation contexts, complementing already existing molecular monitoring frameworks. Focusing on DNA sequence-based methods (e.g. DNA methylation, for which the applications are readily available), we demonstrate how (a) the identification of epi-biomarkers associated with age or infection can facilitate the determination of an individual's health status in wild populations; (b) whole epigenome analyses can identify signatures of selection linked to environmental conditions and facilitate estimating the adaptive potential of populations; and (c) epi-eDNA (epigenetic environmental DNA), an epigenetic-based conservation tool, presents a non-invasive sampling method to monitor biological information beyond the mere presence of individuals. Overall, our framework refines conservation strategies, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of species' adaptive potential and persistence on ecologically relevant timescales.
Downloadable publication This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |  |
Funding information in the publication:
A.B is funded by European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101026703. M.B.S. is funded by the Academy of Finland (Funding decision 321471). C.E is supported by UK Research and Innovation (NERC, NE/V001469/1, NE/X012077/1). MJH is funded by the German Research Foundation through their Walter Benjamin programme (HE 8763/1-1 and 8763/2-1).
