Ploidy and domestication are associated with genome size variation in Palms

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: The genome size of a species (C-value) is associated with growth, development and adaptation to environmental changes. Angiosperm C-values range 1200-fold and frequently vary within species, although little is known about the impacts of domestication on genome size. Genome size variation among related species of palms is of evolutionary significance because changes characterize clades and may be associated with polyploidy, transposon amplifications, deletions, or rearrangements. Further knowledge of genome size will provide crucial information needed for planning of whole genome sequencing and accurate annotations. We studied the genome size of Cocos nucifera and its variation among cultivars, and compared it to values for related palms from the Attaleinae subtribe. METHODS: Flow cytometric analysis of isolated nuclei from young palm leaves was used to estimate genome sizes of 23 coconut cultivars (Talls, Dwarfs, and hybrids) worldwide and 17 Cocoseae species. Ance...研究背景：物种的基因组大小（C-value）与生长、发育及环境适应能力密切相关。被子植物的C值跨度可达1200倍，且种内亦常存在变异，但目前学界对驯化过程对基因组大小的影响仍知之甚少。棕榈科近缘物种间的基因组大小变异具有重要进化意义——基因组大小的变化是对应演化支的典型特征，且可能与多倍体化、转座子扩增、序列缺失或基因组重排相关。进一步掌握基因组大小相关数据，可为全基因组测序规划及精准基因组注释提供关键参考依据。本研究测定了椰子（Cocos nucifera）的基因组大小及其在不同栽培品种间的变异情况，并将其与Attaleinae亚族（Attaleinae）的近缘棕榈物种的基因组大小进行了对比。 研究方法：本研究通过对棕榈幼叶分离得到的细胞核进行流式细胞术分析，对全球范围内23个椰子栽培品种（高秆型（Talls）、矮生型（Dwarfs）及杂交品种（hybrids））以及17个椰族（Cocoseae）物种的基因组大小进行了估算。Ance...