Novel epigenetic age estimation in wild-caught Gulf of Mexico reef fishes

Cutting-edge DNA methylation-based epigenetic aging techniques were applied to Gulf of Mexico northern red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus; n = 10; 1-26 years old) and red grouper (Epinephelus morio; n = 10; 2-14 years old). Bisulfiteconverted restriction site-associated DNA sequencing was used to identify CpG sites (cytosines followed by guanines) that exhibit age-correlated DNA methylation, and species-specific epigenetic clocks developed from hundreds of CpG sites in each species showed strong agreement between predicted and otolith-derived age [r.sup.2] > 0.99 for both species). Results suggest epigenetic age estimation could provide an accurate and efficient approach to mass-aging fishes in a non-invasive manner. Des methodes epigenetiques de pointe de determination de l'age reposant sur la methylation de l'ADN ont ete appliquees au vivaneau campeche (Lutjanus campechanus; n = 10; 1-26 ans) et au merou rouge (Epinephelus morio; n = 10; 2-14 ans). Le sequencage avec conversion au bisulfite d'ADN associe a des sites de restriction a ete utilise pour cerner des sites CpG (cytosines suivies de guanines) qui presentent une methylation de l'ADN correlee a l'age, et des horloges epigenetiques propres a l'espece developpees a partir de centaines de sites CpG de chaque espece ont revele de fortes concordances entre les ages predits et les ages obtenus par analyse d'otolites [r.sup.2] > 0,99 pour les deux especes). Les resultats donnent a penser que l'estimation epigenetique de l'age pourrait constituer une approche non invasive exacte et efficiente de determination des ages de quantites massives de poissons.
Introduction Age data are fundamental to determining life history parameters (e.g., age-at-length, age-at-maturity, age-related fecundity) and are thus critical for fisheries assessment and management, particularly when age-structured stock assessment models [...]