Chuanzhu Fan, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University

范传珠

美国韦恩州立大学副教授，具有丰富的基因组和表观基因组学研究经验，长年致力于分子进化、基因组学、表观基因组学和群体遗传学等方面的研究。特别是整合计算和高通量实验来研究遗传和表观分歧如何让步于显型分化中的新基因的产生，取得了杰出的成果。发表成果41篇，其中部分成果发表在nature genetics， genome biology 等行业顶级杂志上面。美国植物生物学家学会ASPB成员。

Natural Selection of DNA Methylation

Epigenetic mutations (epimutations) through alternation of DNA methylation are inheritable and can contribute to transmittable phenotypic variation. Thus, epimutations can be subject to natural selection and impact the fitness and evolution of organisms. Based on the framework of the modified Tajima’s D test for DNA mutations, a neutrality test with the statistic “Dm” was developed to detect selection forces on DNA methylation mutations using single methylation polymorphisms. Computer simulation and empirical data analysis demonstrated that the Dm test is suitable for detecting selection on epimutations. Due to the higher resetting rate of epimutations, the interpretation of Dm on epimutations and Tajima’s D test on DNA mutations could be different in inferring natural selection. Analyses using simulated and empirical genome-wide polymorphism data suggested that genes under genetic and epigenetic selections behaved differently. Dm was applied to test the recently originated genes and showed that newly evolved genes contain higher level of rare epialleles, suggesting that epimutation may play a role in origination and evolution of genes and genomes. This analytical metrics and methodology could contribute to our understanding of evolutionary processes of genes and genomes in the field of epigenetics.