Monoallelic methylation and allele specific expression in a social insect

Social insects are emerging models for epigenetics. Here we examine the link between monoallelic methylation and monoallelic expression in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris using whole methylome and transcriptome analysis. We found nineteen genes displaying monoallelic methylation and expression. They were enriched for functions to do with social organisation in the social insects. These are the biological processes predicted to involve imprinting by evolutionary theory.