Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genome size and base composition of five Pinus species from the Balkan region

  • Genetics and Genomics
  • Published:
Plant Cell Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The 2C DNA content and base composition of five Pinus (2n=24) species and two Pinus subspecies from the Balkan region have been estimated by flow cytometry. P. heldreichii (five populations) and P. peuce (one population) were assessed for the first time, as also were subspecies of P. nigra (three populations—two of subspecies nigra and one of subspecies dalmatica) along with P. sylvestris, and P. mugo from the same region. The 2C DNA values of these Pinus ranged from 42.5 pg to 54.9 pg (41.7–53.8×109 bp), and the base composition was quite stable (about 39.5% GC). Significant differences were observed between two subspecies of P. nigra and even between two populations of subsp. nigra. The two other species (P. sylvestris and P. mugo) had 2C values of 42.5 pg and 42.8 pg, respectively, while that of P. peuce was 54.9 pg. These genome sizes are in accordance with published values except for P. sylvestris, which was 20% below estimates made by other authors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barow M, Meister A (2002) Lack of correlation between AT frequency and genome size in higher plants and the effect of nonrandomness of base sequences on dye binding. Cytometry 47:1-7

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett MD, Smith JB (1991) Nuclear DNA amounts in angiosperms. Philos Trans R Soc London Ser B 334:309–345

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett MD, Bhandol P, Leitch IJ (2000) Nuclear DNA amounts in angiosperms and their modern uses—807 new estimates. Ann Bot 86:859–909

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bou Dagher-Kharrat M, Grenier G, Bariteau M, Brown SC, Siljak-Yakovlev S, Savouré A (2001) Karyotype analysis reveals interspecific differentiation in the genus Cedrus despite genome size and base composition constancy. Theor Appl Genet 103:846–854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavalier-Smith T (1985) The evolution of genome size. John Wiley, Chichester

  • Cerbah M, Coulaud J, Brown SC, Siljak-Yakovlev S (1998) Evolutionary DNA variation in the genus Hypochoeris. Heredity 80:261–266

    Google Scholar 

  • De Ferré Y, Gaussen H (1970) Affinités systematiques de Pinus peuce Griseb. Zb simpoziumot Molikata Skopje, pp 33–38

  • Dhillon SS (1987) DNA in tree species. In: Bouga JM, Deuzan DJ (eds) Cell and tissue culture in forestry. Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, pp 298–560

  • Dhir NK, Miksche JP (1974) Intraspecific variation of nuclear DNA content in Pinus resinosa. Can J Genet Cytol 16:77–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Fukarek P, Vidakovic M (1965) Espèces de pins hybrides ou de transition sur le mont Prenj, en Herzegovine (Pinus × nigradermis Fuk. et Vid.). Naučno društvo Bosne i Hercegovine, Radovi, Odjeljenje privredno-tehničkih nauka, 28. Knjiga 8:68–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Galbraith D, Harkins K, Maddox J, Ayres N, Sharma D, Firoozabady E (1983) Rapid flow cytometric analysis of the cell cycle in intact plant tissues. Science 220:1049–1051

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Godelle B, Cartier D, Marie D, Brown CS, Siljak-Yakovlev S (1993) Heterochromatin study demonstrating the non-linearity of fluorometry useful for calculations genomic base composition. Cytometry 14:618–626

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greilhuber J (1986) Severely distorted Feulgen DNA amounts in Pinus (Coniferophytina) after nonadditive fixation as a result of meristematic self-tanning with vacuole contents. Can J Genet Cytol 28:409–415

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Greilhuber J (1988) Critical reassessment of DNA content in plants. In: Brandham PE (ed) Kew chromosome conference. HMSO, London, pp 39–50

  • Hall SE, Dvorak JS, Johnston HJ, Price HJ, Williams CG (2000) Flow cytometric analysis of DNA content for tropical and temperate New World pines. Ann Bot 86:1081–1086

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hizume M (1988) Karyomorphological studies in the family Pinaceae. Mem Fac Educ Ehime Univ Nat Sci 8:1–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Joyner KL, Wang XR, Johnston JS, Price JH, Williams CG (2001) DNA content for Asian pines parallels New World relatives. Can J Bot 79:192–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Thierry d'Ennequin M, Panaud O, Siljak-Yakovlev S, Sarr A (1998) First evaluation of nuclear DNA content in Setaria genus by flow cytometry. J Hered 89:556–559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marie D, Brown SC (1993) A cytometric exercise in plant DNA histograms with 2C values for 70 species. Biol Cell 78:41–51

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martel E, De Nay D, Siljak-Yakovlev S, Brown SC, Sarr A (1997) Genome size and base composition in pearl millet and fourteen related species. J Hered 88:139–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Miksche JP (1968) Quantitative study of intraspecific variation of DNA per cell in Picea glauca and Pinus banksiana. Can J Genet Cytol 10:590–600

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray BG (1998) Nuclear DNA amount in gymnosperms. Ann Bot 82 [Suppl A]:3–15

  • O'Brien I, Smith D, Gardner R, Murray B (1996) Flow cytometric determination of genome size in Pinus. Plant Sci 115:91–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohri D, Khoshoo TN (1986) Genome size in gymnosperms. Plant Syst Evol 153:119–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt A, Doudrick RL, Heslop-Harrison JS, Schmidt T (2000) The contribution of short repeats of low sequence complexity to large conifer genomes. Theor Appl Genet 101:7–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Siljak-Yakovlev S, Cerbah M, Coulaud J, Stoian V, Brown SC, Jelenic S, Papes D (2002) Nuclear DNA content, base composition, heterochromatin and rDNA in Picea omorika and Picea abies. Theor Appl Genet 104:505–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teoh SB, Rees H (1976) Nuclear DNA amounts in populations of Picea and Pinus species. Heredity 36:123–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Valkonen JPT, Nygren M, Ylönen A, Mannonen L (1994) Nuclear DNA content of Pinus sylvestris L. as determined by laser flow cytometry. Genetica 92:203–207

    Google Scholar 

  • Vidakovic M (1991) Morphology and variations in conifers, 2nd edn. Graficki zavod Hrvatske, Zagreb

  • Wakamiya I, Newton R, Johnston JS, Price HJ (1993) Genome size and environmental factors in the genus Pinus. Am J Bot 80:1235–1241

    Google Scholar 

  • Wakamyia I, Price HJ, Messina MG, Newton RJ (1996) Pine genome diversity and water relations. Physiol Plant 96:13–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zoldos V, Papes D, Brown SC, Panaud O, Siljak-Yakovlev S (1998) Genome size and base composition of seven Quercus species: inter- and intra- population variation. Genome 41:162–168

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors kindly acknowledge Dalibor Ballian, Dr. Edita Solic, and J. Buselic for collecting material and Odile Robin, Olivier Cartrice, and Marie-Thérèse Crosnier for their technical support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Forestry, University of Sarajevo, Zagrebacka 20, 71000, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    F. Bogunic

  2. Laboratory for research and protection of endemic resources, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 35, 71000, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    F. Bogunic, E. Muratovic & S. Siljak-Yakovlev

  3. Institut des Sciences du Végétal, CNRS UPR 2355, 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    S. C. Brown

  4. Ecologie, Systématique, Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 360, UPRESA 8079, 91405, Orsay, France

    S. Siljak-Yakovlev

Authors
  1. F. Bogunic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. Muratovic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. C. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. Siljak-Yakovlev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Siljak-Yakovlev.

Additional information

Communicated by M. Beckert

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bogunic, F., Muratovic, E., Brown, S.C. et al. Genome size and base composition of five Pinus species from the Balkan region. Plant Cell Rep 22, 59–63 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-003-0653-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-003-0653-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation