Single-celled organisms found to have a more complex DNA epigenetic code than multicellular life

The background: Multicellular organisms (animals, plants, human) all have the ability to methylate the cytosine © base in their DNA. This process, a type of epigenetic modification, plays an important role in conditions such as cancer and processes such as aging.

The findings: In this new paper, the researchers discovered that in more ‘primitive’ unicellular organisms, both the adenine and the cytosine bases are methylated. This would suggest that in some ways, these unicellular organisms are more complex than their multicellular peers. The team also found that methylation of the adenine base was, in the case of many of these unicellular organisms, vital for controlling which genes are switched on, which is important for their viability.

What it means: Parasites which can damage animals and plants and infect humans tend to be unicellular organisms. This new research indicates that targeting of methylation on the adenine base in unicellular organisms could be a way in which to stop them from infecting / negatively impacting animals, plants and humans. While this is still a way in the future (ie drugs would still need to be developed and tested), it opens the doors to a new avenue of drug development and discovery.

Dr Alex de Mendoza, Reader in Evolutionary Epigenomics at Queen Mary University of London, who led the study, said: “This discovery reveals that some unicellular eukaryotes have more intricate DNA methylation systems than multicellular organisms, overturning the assumption that molecular complexity increases with organismal complexity. Beyond its evolutionary implications, this finding also opens new possibilities for targeting parasites, offering potential avenues for drug development against diseases caused by protists such as Trichomonas, Blastocystis, or the so-called ‘brain-eating amoeba.”

ENDS