MethylRAD-seq of the yellow pond turtle

DNA methylation plays a significant role in transducing external environmental signals to a cellular response in reptiles, however, whether the methylation patterns are conserved across species remains unclear. Here, we examined the genome-wide DNA methylation differentiation between male and female hatchling gonads of the temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) Mauremys mutica (M. mutica) using Methylation-dependent restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (MethylRAD-seq) to test differentially methylated genes underlying sexual development. Several categories, including heat shock genes (HSP90A, HSP30C), histone- (KDM8) and ubiquitin-related genes (TRIM39), kinase (WNK3) and gonad differentiation or gonadal development related genes (ZP3, SPAG7, HSD17B8) were identified as candidates for future study.