Allometry of base pair specific-DNA contents in Tetrapoda

Cells of 82 species of Tetrapoda were stained with DNA base pair specific fluorochromes (Hoechst 33258 and olivomycin) and studied by means of flow cytometry. The genome size range was about 50-fold. The class Amphibia, which had the widest range of genome size variation (about 20-fold), exhibited linear allometry in their base pair specific DNA contents (bps-C-values), i.e., the more DNA they had, the lower the quotient of AT-pairs (C(AT) = 0.13 + 0.87 x C(GC), r = +0.998). Data for Mammalia, pooled with amphibians, fell on the same allometric line at the lower extreme end of genome size range, supporting the correlation. Reptilia-Aves (or Reptilia alone) pooled with Amphibia did not conform with this relationship. Reptilia-Aves form their own line (zone); pooled with Mammalia, this group showed no regularities in the relationship of their bps-DNA contents. Besides revealing the allometry of bps-C-values, these data indicate an integral genomic feature, localization within the same regression line, which Mammalia share with Amphibia but not with recent Reptilia (and Aves). These data also suggest that the relationship between DNA base frequencies and genome size is nonlinear (reciprocal); to obtain a linear relationship, the bps-C-values should be used. It is also concluded that caution is needed when DNA-content is measured for comparative purposes using a fluorescent dye which is known to be base-pair specific. DNA content values obtained with fluorochromes with different specificity may differ as much as by a factor of 1.8, the average discrepancy level is about 14%.