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Title: Genome size dynamics within multiple genera of diploid seed plants

Author
item BOUTANAEV, ALEXANDER - Academy Of Science Of Russia
item Nemchinov, Lev

Submitted to: Russian Journal of Genetics: Applied Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/3/2019
Publication Date: 4/1/2020
Citation: Boutanaev, A.M., Nemchinov, L.G. 2020. Genome size dynamics within multiple genera of diploid seed plants. Russian Journal of Genetics: Applied Research. 56/667-676. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1022795420060046.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1022795420060046

Interpretive Summary: Genome size of the eukaryotic organisms is a fundamental characteristic that critically affects adaptation of the species and plays an important role in plant phenotypic evolution. It is associated with many internal and environmental factors. Traditionally, the size of a haploid genome is measured in picograms of DNA and is referred to as the c-value. The famous c-value paradox stemmed from the fact that the amount of DNA in eukaryotes is much greater than needed to encode proteins. Mechanisms of genome size variations and especially its dynamic over the course of evolution remain largely unknown. In this work, we investigated genome size dynamics in multiple genera of the diploid seed plants and found a remarkably strong correlation between genome size of the species and their evolutionary age. The findings will contribute to the understanding of mechanisms involved in the modern-day adaptive evolution in plants.

Technical Abstract: Genome size in plant species is closely associated with many intracellular and environmental factors,which makes it important for adaptation and evolution. Although research on genome size changes has a long history, the problem continues to be challenging because many factors affecting this evolutionary process are still unknown. Despite substantial effort to investigate genome size changes in major plant lineages, the present-day picture remains rather static because the age of plant species is not always taken into consideration. We attempted to systematically investigate genome size dynamics in multiple genera of diploid seed plants. A remarkably strong intrageneric linear dependence between the genome size and evolutionary age of species was found. This linearity of intrageneric genome size dynamics has persisted over millions of years,suggesting gradual changes in DNA content unrelated to the natural selection process. Our results also reveal that some outlier species did not follow this general trend and could go through drastic changes in genome size over a short period of evolutionary time. We conclude that genome size within the genera of many diploid seed plant species is not stochastic and follows a linear dependence on the evolutionary age of the species.