Meeting Abstract
The presence or absence of histone modifying enzymes in a species can allow for different 3D genomic organizations. This might in turn allow for different body plan development. Here I examined the evolution of histone and histone modifying enzymes across more than nine representative ctenophore species and several molluscs including the classic neuroscience model Aplysia californica. Though ctenophores had fewer overall recognizable histone modifying enzymes than molluscs, the lineages showed similar patterns of arginine methyltransferase enzyme (the PRMT gene family) expression during early development. A previously undescribed ctenophore specific histone H3 variant was identified as a candidate providing a novel substrate for epigenetic modifications. Within the ctenophore phylum, the histone mark H3K9me3 associated with transcriptional silencing is exclusively controlled by different classes of enzymes in pelagic versus benthic ctenophores which might contribute to the body plan differences seen in these ctenophore sub-classes.
