Small, but surprisingly repetitive genomes: transposon expansion and not polyploidy has driven a doubling in genome size in a metazoan species complex.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The causes and consequences of genome size variation across Eukaryotes, which spans five orders of magnitude, have been hotly debated since before the advent of genome sequencing. Previous studies have mostly examined variation among larger taxonomic units (e.g., orders, or genera), while comparisons among closely related species are rare. Rotifers of the Brachionus plicatilis species complex exhibit a seven-fold variation in genome size and thus represent a unique opportunity to study such changes on a relatively short evolutionary timescale. Here, we sequenced and analysed the genomes of four species of this complex with nuclear DNA contents spanning 110-422 Mbp. To establish the likely mechanisms of genome size change, we analysed both sequencing read libraries and as

SUBMITTER: Blommaert J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6555955 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature