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Are B-chromosomes responsible for the extraordinary genome size variation in selected Anthoxanthum annuals?

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Abstract

Nuclear genome size is strongly influenced by the number, size and morphology of chromosomes, and there is often a good correlation between genome size and total chromosome length within a karyotype. Because aneuploidy or the presence of accessory chromosomes has repeatedly been reported within the Anthoxanthum aristatum/ovatum complex (Poaceae), both phenomena have to be considered as potential sources of genome size variability within this group. This variability in nuclear genome size reaches 40 %, not only within the complex but also within single populations. Genome size variation, however, does not necessarily correlate positively with the number of chromosomes, as our data also indicate. Although our karyological survey revealed the presence of at least one B-chromosome in 44 % of individuals, we found almost no correlation between the number of B-chromosomes and genome size variability. The presence of B-chromosomes usually increases individual genome size, but does not affect substantially the extent of variability within the complex or population regardless of whether individuals with accessory chromosomes are included. These findings indicate that changes mainly in A-chromosomes are responsible for a huge fraction of genome size variability in the A. aristatum/ovatum complex.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Jana Krejčíková, Paulo Silveira and Jaroslav Zahradníček for their help during fieldwork, to Jan Suda for his helpful comments and to Frederick Rooks for his language advice. The research was financially supported by Charles University in Prague (GAUK Projects nos. 66109 and 541413). Additional support was supplied by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (Project RVO 67985939).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Prague, Czech Republic

    Zuzana Chumová & Pavel Trávníček

  2. Plant Cytogenomics Research Group, CEITEC-Central-European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Terezie Mandáková

  3. Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic

    Pavel Trávníček

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  1. Zuzana Chumová
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  2. Terezie Mandáková
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  3. Pavel Trávníček
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Correspondence to Zuzana Chumová.

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Handling editor: Hanna Schneeweiss.

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606_2016_1295_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Fig. 5 Micrographs of somatic metaphase chromosomes of all individuals under detailed investigation. B-chromosomes are indicated by arrows. (PDF 4410 kb)

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Online Resource 1. Fig. 5 Micrographs of somatic metaphase chromosomes of all individuals under detailed investigation. B-chromosomes are indicated by arrows

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Chumová, Z., Mandáková, T. & Trávníček, P. Are B-chromosomes responsible for the extraordinary genome size variation in selected Anthoxanthum annuals?. Plant Syst Evol 302, 731–738 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-016-1295-5

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