Premium
CORRELATED EVOLUTION OF GENOME SIZE AND CELL VOLUME IN DIATOMS (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) 1
Author(s) -
Connolly Jessica A.,
Oliver Matthew J.,
Beaulieu Jeremy M.,
Knight Charles A.,
Tomanek Lars,
Moline Mark A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2007.00452.x
Subject(s) - diatom , genome size , biology , extant taxon , cell size , genome , biogeochemical cycle , phylum , evolutionary biology , ecology , gene , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology
A correlation between genome size and cell volume has been observed across diverse assemblages of eukaryotes. We examined this relationship in diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), a phylum in which cell volume is of critical ecological and biogeochemical importance. In addition to testing whether there is a predictive relationship across extant species, we tested whether evolutionary divergences in genome size were correlated with evolutionary divergences in cell size (using independent contrasts). We estimated total DNA content for 16 diatom species using a flow cytometer and estimated cell volumes using critical dimensions with scaling equations. Our independent contrast analyses indicated a significant correlated evolution between genome size and cell volume. We then explored the evolutionary and ecological implications of this evolutionary relationship. Diatom cell volume is an important component of the global carbon cycle; therefore, understanding the mechanisms that drive diatom genome evolution has both evolutionary and ecological importance.