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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #273706
Title: Genome size in Anthurium evaluated in the context of karyotypes and phenotypes

Author
item Bliss, Barbara
item Suzuki, Jon

Submitted to: AoB Plants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2012
Publication Date: 2/29/2012
Citation: Bliss, B.J., Suzuki, J.Y. 2012. Genome size in Anthurium evaluated in the context of karyotypes and phenotypes. AoB Plants. doi:10.1093/aobpla/pls006.

Interpretive Summary: Anthurium is an important horticultural flower crop with a long history of commercial cultivation particularly in Hawaii. Currently there is a virtual lack of molecular tools that would greatly augment cultivar improvement through biotechnology and biotechnology aided breeding approaches. In this study we sought to obtain genome size data for commercial cultivars and related Anthurium species as a foundation for understanding the genetic makeup of this group of plants to further development of molecular resources. This is the first published report on the genome size of commercial Anthurium cultivars and species that have contributed to modern commercial cultivars. We also report the largest and smallest genome sizes to date for this group of plants. The information obtained in this study will be useful as a foundation for developing biotechnological tools that can be applied for the production of new cultivars with disease resistance and attractive floral traits and support competitiveness of the U.S. floral industry.

Technical Abstract: Anthurium is an important horticultural flower crop from family Araceae in order Alismatales, a monocot lineage considered to have diverged from other monocots prior to the divergence of the cereals lineage. Currently there is a virtual lack of molecular-genetic resources that would greatly augment cultivar improvement and support the U.S. floral industry. In this study we sought to understand genome organization and composition in the genus Anthurium by analysis of genome size as foundation for further development of molecular resources. Prior to this work, genome size information was only publicly available for two Anthurium species. We obtained genome size data for 78 accessions of 34 Anthurium species and nine commercial cultivars based on flow cell cytometry measurement of sample nuclei from leaves. We applied the most current and well supported topology of subgeneric, sectional relationships within this genus to present the genome size estimates in the context of reported karyotypes, observed phenotypes, and putative phylogenetic relationships in this genus. This is the first report of genome size data of commercial cultivars as well as species including A. andraeanum from which important commercial cultivars derive. We also report the largest and smallest genome sizes to date for this most speciose Araceae genus. The largest species sampled was A. roseospadix from section Calomystrium with a genome size of 20.83pg/2C and the smallest was an accession of A. obtusum from section Tetraspermium with genome of 4.42 pg/2C.