Germline hypomethylation shapes dynamic CpG reservoirs in ape genomes

Germline hypomethylation creates CpG-rich reservoirs in ape genomes, especially in dynamic regions like peri/centromeric satellites, influencing genome evolution.

• Why it matters: Understanding germline DNA methylation patterns is crucial because they drive long-term CpG erosion and genome evolution, yet some regions remain hypomethylated, suggesting unexplored functional roles.
• What they did: The study integrated complete T2T ape genome assemblies with germline and somatic DNA methylomes, revealing hypomethylated CpGs in previously inaccessible repetitive and structurally dynamic regions across seven ape species.
• The result: Hypomethylated regions, including CHEDs, are enriched in recently duplicated genes and show tissue-specific expression, indicating these CpG reservoirs facilitate rapid genome evolution and gene innovation in the germline.