DNA methylation reflects tissue and caste identity but not parasitism-induced changes in a social insect

The role of DNA methylation in regulating transcriptional activity and post-transcriptional modifications in insects, particularly in social insects, remains debated. Social insect castes, primarily determined by differential gene expression, exhibit pronounced phenotypic differences in morphology, life history traits, and behaviour. In some ants, parasites induce divergent phenotypes, but the role of DNA methylation in this remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined DNA methylation patterns across different tissues (brain and fat body) and castes (queens and workers) in the ant Temnothorax nylanderi. We also compared healthy workers to those infected with the cestode Anomotaenia brevis, which is associated with changes in lifespan, morphology, and behaviour. Our results reveal significant differences in gene body methylation across tissues, which were positively linked to gene expression. We also observed caste-specific differences in DNA methylation, particularly in the fat..., , # Data from: DNA methylation reflects tissue and caste identity but not parasitism-induced changes in a social insect

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.7h44j107x](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7h44j107x)

## Description of the data and file structure

The data were generated to quantify genome-wide DNA methylation patterns and gene expression differences across castes, tissues, and infection states in the ant *Temnothorax nylanderi*. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and RNA-seq were performed on brain and fat body samples from queens, uninfected workers, and parasite-infected workers to assess how caste identity and parasite manipulation influence epigenetic and transcriptional profiles.

### Files and variables

### File: Supplementary_File_1-Table_1.csv

**Description:** Overview of colony-level information for samples used in Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing (WGBS), Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS), and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). For each colony, the table reports the sample collection date...,