Yeast, Drosophila and Caenorhabditis have extremely low levels of DNA methylation. One of the major roles of DNA methylation are to protect the genome against transposable elements. If this protection is not given, I would expect that genome evolution by the insertion of transposable elements is more likely, particularly under stress. I can't find any study that compares the evolvability of species with DNA methylation and without DNA methylation. Ideas and literature are welcome.
In my opinion, cancer cells undergo evolution with altered epigenetic modifications with methylation and phosphorylation of both DNA and histone proteins. Chronic inflammation is the major inducer of hyper-methylation in tumor cells.
Dear Alexandar...
Thank you for such wonderful question!
We may be able to dress a certain direction for the DNA methylation!, but there are always some exceptions that can't be ignored. For example, in our study, most of the results indicated that DNA methylation was reduced in F1 hybrids compared to their pure parental inbreds. Meanwhile, there are some genotypes showed completely different relationship! Same conclusions can be extracted about type of relationship between inbreeding and DNA methylations, which was positive in general. So, I think many progeny populations have a tendency to decrease the level of DNA methylation against their high ancestors (wild types)! I hope I'm right.
Best luck.
Thesis Molecular Relationship Between DNA Methylation Pattern And H...
Yes, the evolution may be possible in both cases either due to lack in DNA methylation or increase in DNA methylation but not in all cases, although DNA methylation is environment dependent so we can`t determine the amount of stress working upon a particular subject to enhance DNA methylation or to decrease DNA methylation because it is not merely a single factor which influences DNA methylation or Epigenetics.
Now, Lack of DNA methylation means more expression of particular gene so it may becomes over expressive in response to a certain environmental factor. In your case, transposons are free to bind them and they must be expressible and inheritable to trigger evolutionary changes. In this case the evolution can be possible.
Wishes!
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