Abstract Detail

Pteridological Section/AFS

Marchant , D Blaine [1], Sessa, Emily Butler [2], Barbazuk, W Brad [3], WOLF , PAUL G [4], Der, Joshua [5], SOLTIS, PAMELA S. [6], Soltis, Douglas E. [6].

Delving into the C-Fern Genome and Euphyllophyte Evolution.

In a little more than a decade, our understanding of plant genomes has increased from the minute, five chromosomes of Arabidopsis thaliana to the gargantuan genome of the Norway spruce (Picea abies) littered with countless repetitive elements.  Even genomes of obscure non-model species such as the phylogenetically pivotal basal angiosperm, Amborella trichopoda, have been explored. As a result, sequenced genomes are now available for every major green plant lineage from chlorophytic and streptophytic algae to an array of flowering plants – that is, every lineage except the second-most species-rich major clade of land plants and sister group to the evolutionarily, ecologically, and economically significant seed plants, the monilophytes (ferns and their relatives).  Notorious for large genomes and numerous chromosomes (~3x more than the average angiosperm), ferns and their genomes are largely unchartered despite their evolutionarily significant position of reference group for analyzing ancestral versus derived genomic traits in gymnosperms and angiosperms.  Using an amalgamation of next-generation sequencing systems, we are delving into the genome of Ceratopteris richardii, a fast-growing tropical aquatic fern with a putative genome size of 11 Gb and haploid chromosome number of 39, in order to better understand the genomic evolution of euphyllophytes (seed plants and monilophytes).  The primary questions we will address using the genome of C. richardii are: 1) Is there evidence of paleopolyploidy? 2) What comprises the non-coding regions? 3) How does life history (e.g. homospory, heterospory, gametophyte independence) correlate with genome size and complexity?  The products of this research will include annotated transcriptomes of both the independent sporophyte and gametophyte life stages, targeted gene capture arrays of select gene families, as well as a shallow (~10x coverage) sequenced genome.

1 - U of Florida, Biology, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
2 - University of Florida, Biology, 521A Bartram Hall , Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
3 - University of Florida, Biology, Cancer & Genetics Research Complex, Room 407 , 2033 Mowry Road, PO Box 103610, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
4 - Utah State University, Ecology Center and Department of Biology, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
5 - Penn State University, Department Of Biology, 201 Life Sciences Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
6 - University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, PO Box 117800, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

Keywords:
genomics
polyploidy
fern.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Eyrie/Boise Centre
Date: Monday, July 28th, 2014
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PPD005
Abstract ID:592
Candidate for Awards:None