Plant, Animal & Microbe Genomes X Conference Plant, Animal & Microbe Genomes X ConferenceJanuary 12-16, 2002
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA
Bioinformatics: Databases
The DNA C-value of an organism is the amount of nuclear DNA in its unreplicated haploid or gametic nucleus, irrespective of ploidy level of the taxon. C-value equals genome size in diploid species, but always exceeds mean genome size in polyploids. Nuclear DNA C-value and genome size are important diversity characters with fundamental biological significance and many uses. Since 1976 six reference lists of angiosperm DNA C-values were published giving C-values for about 1.4% of all angiosperm species. With over 1,100 citations, these lists have been widely used for comparative studies at levels ranging from the biosphere to genome organisation. In 1997 the Angiosperm Genome Size workshop recommended that new international collaboration was essential to improve representation of C-value data in angiosperms and other plant groups. Moreover, DNA amount data for all land plant groups should be brought together in one easily accessible Plant DNA C-values database. 2001 saw significant progress towards these goals. Improved familial representation of C-values was achieved in angiosperms (50 first values for families reported - e.g. Hanson et al. 2001), gymnosperms (complete familial representation reached - Leitch et al. 2001) and pteridophytes (familial representation doubled). From September the Angiosperm and Pteridophyte DNA C-values databases were combined with C-value data for gymnosperms and bryophytes to produce the Plant DNA C-values database (release 1.0) (http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/cval/homepage.html) where DNA amounts for over 3600 different land plant species (embryophytes) can be readily accessed.