Testing the link between genome size and growth rate in maize
Maud I Tenaillon1, Domenica Manicacci1, Stéphane D Nicolas1
1Génétique Quantitative et Evolution-Le Moulon, INRA-Université Paris-Sud-CNRS-AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay , Gif-sur-Yvette , France.
Peerj
|September 22, 2016
Summary
Genome Size (GS) in maize varies significantly across climate-adapted groups. Selection likely influenced GS during maize
Area of Science:
- Plant genetics
- Evolutionary biology
- Agronomy
Background:
- Genome Size (GS) variation within species is poorly understood.
- GS may be indirectly influenced by natural selection on developmental and adaptive traits.
- Maize exhibits particularly pronounced GS variation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate factors driving within-species Genome Size variation in maize.
- Examine the relationship between Genome Size and Leaf Elongation Rate (LERmax) as a proxy for growth rate.
- Characterize the genetic structure of maize inbred lines from diverse climate origins.
Main Methods:
- Sampled 83 maize inbred lines from tropical, Flint (temperate), and Dent (Corn Belt) genetic groups.
- Measured Genome Size (GS) and Leaf Elongation Rate maximum during nighttime (LERmax) for all lines.
- Analyzed nucleotide polymorphism data at 29,090 sites to determine genetic structure.
Main Results:
- Significant variations in LERmax and GS were observed among genetic groups.
- Tropical maize had larger GS than Flint maize; Dent maize had intermediate values.
- LERmax was higher in Flint than Tropical maize, showing a negative correlation with GS among groups, but not within groups after controlling for genetic structure.
Conclusions:
- Selection on Genome Size likely accompanied ancient maize diffusion, with larger DNA content potentially excluded from temperate regions.
- The study highlights the role of climate adaptation in shaping maize GS.
- Further research is needed to determine if GS has been a target of selection during modern maize breeding.
Related Concept Videos
03:21Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes
3.6K
3.6K
03:21Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes
9.4K
While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
9.4K
02:36Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation
5.2K
Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
5.2K
02:05Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
8.3K
The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
In contrast, regions which code...
8.3K
01:29Exponential Growth
129
Bacterial populations exhibit exponential growth when conditions such as nutrient availability and temperature are favorable. In this phase, cells reproduce through binary fission, where each cell divides into two identical daughter cells. This process causes the population to double at regular intervals, resulting in a growth rate that is directly proportional to the current number of cells. As the population increases, the number of new cells formed during each generation also grows, creating...
129
02:16Comparing Mitochondrial, Chloroplast, and Prokaryotic Genomes
17.4K
The present-day mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes have retained some of the characteristics of their ancestral prokaryotes and also have acquired new attributes during their evolution within eukaryotic cells. Like prokaryotic genomes, mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes neither bind with histone-like proteins nor show complex packaging into chromosome-like structures, as observed in eukaryotes. Unlike mitotic cell divisions observed in eukaryotic cells, mitochondria and chloroplasts...
17.4K