Project description:Recent genome sequencing papers have given genome sizes of 180 Mb for Drosophila melanogaster Iso-1 and 125 Mb for Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia. The former agrees with early cytochemical estimates, but numerous cytometric estimates of around 170 Mb imply that a genome size of 125 Mb for arabidopsis is an underestimate. In this study, nuclei of species pairs were compared directly using flow cytometry. Co-run Columbia and Iso-1 female gave a 2C peak for arabidopsis only approx. 15 % below that for drosophila, and 16C endopolyploid Columbia nuclei had approx. 15 % more DNA than 2C chicken nuclei (with >2280 Mb). Caenorhabditis elegans Bristol N2 (genome size approx. 100 Mb) co-run with Columbia or Iso-1 gave a 2C peak for drosophila approx. 75 % above that for 2C C. elegans, and a 2C peak for arabidopsis approx. 57 % above that for C. elegans. This confirms that 1C in drosophila is approx. 175 Mb and, combined with other evidence, leads us to conclude that the genome size of arabidopsis is not approx. 125 Mb, but probably approx. 157 Mb. It is likely that the discrepancy represents extra repeated sequences in unsequenced gaps in heterochromatic regions. Complete sequencing of the arabidopsis genome until no gaps remain at telomeres, nucleolar organizing regions or centromeres is still needed to provide the first precise angiosperm C-value as a benchmark calibration standard for plant genomes, and to ensure that no genes have been missed in arabidopsis, especially in centromeric regions, which are clearly larger than once imagined.
Project description:We have performed adaptive laboratory evolution of E. coli pdhR gene deletion strain to examine the adaptive strategies of E. coli.
Project description:Differential expression between monosoic derivative and parental strain of Candida albicans. The important human pathogen Candida albicans possesses an unusual form of gene regulation, in which the copy number of an entire specific chromosome or a large portion of a specific chromosome changes in response to a specific adverse environment, thus, assuring survival. In the absence of the adverse environment, the altered portion of the genome can be restored to its normal condition. One major question is how C. albicans copes with gene imbalance arising by transitory aneuploid states. Here, we compared transcriptomes from two copies of chromosome 5 (Ch5) in a normal diploid strain 3153A and from a single copy of Ch5 in representative derivative Sor55. Statistical analysis revealed that at least 40% of transcripts from the monosomic Ch5 are fully compensated to a disomic level, thus, indicating the existence of a genome-wide mechanism maintaining cell homeostasis. However, a minor portion of transcripts diminished twofold in accordance with what would be expected for Ch5 monosomy. Another minor portion of transcripts, unexpectedly, increased up to twofold and higher then the disomic level, demonstrating indirect control by monosomy. We suggest that C. albicans unusual regulation of gene expression by the loss and gain of entire chromosomes is coupled with widespread compensation of gene dosage at the transcriptional level.