journal, reveals that this fern contains over 50 times more DNA than humans and highlights the significant implications larger genomes have on plant biology and adaptation. Credit: SciTechDaily.comDiscovery poses new questions about just how much DNA can be stored in cellsA new record-holder for the largest amount of DNA stored in the nucleus of any living organism on the planet has been discovered.
A study reveals Tmesipteris oblanceolata as having the largest genome, offering new perspectives on plant evolution and challenges. Credit: Kewis a rare species of fern found on the island nation of New Caledonia, an overseas French territory situated in the Southwest Pacific, about 750 miles east of Australia, and some of the neighboring islands such as Vanuatu.
In 2023, lead authors Dr. Jaume Pellicer and Dr. Oriane Hidalgo, from the IBB and formerly of RBG Kew, traveled to New Caledonia to collect samples of Tmesipteris, which were then analyzed to estimate the size of their genomes. This involved isolating the nuclei of thousands of cells, staining them with a dye and then measuring how much dye had bound to the DNA within each nucleus – the more dye, the bigger the genome.
To date, scientists across the globe have estimated the genome sizes of over 20,000 eukaryotic organisms, revealing in the process a wide range of genome sizes across the tree of life. These, in turn, have been found to have a profound impact not only on their anatomy, as bigger genomes need bigger cells to house them and take longer to replicate, but also how they function, evolve, and where and how they live.) at 129.90 Gbp and the Neuse River waterdog at 117.47 Gbp.