Yes, I agree that this is a great site. Especially with the new query
engine. Alas, it appears to be down at the moment.
General caveats for genome sizes:
Accurate estimations of genome sizes are done by microdensitometry or flow
cytometry. Both of these give result in picograms. Usually picograms/4C. I
generally don't think in "picograms", but megabasepairs (or recently
gigabasepairs). Roughly, 1 picogram/haploid nucleus (1C) is 1 gigabasepair (a
little less). Maize is about 2.4 or 2.5 gigabasepairs. Soybean is about 0.9
gigabasepairs (although I'm getting this from Bennett et al, 1982, who notes
that there is interspecific genome size variation in soybeans.)
I hasten to add that I've never estimated the size of a genome myself
by any
bench method.
The Kew database uses figures from these references?
1976 = BENNETT MD, and SMITH JB (1976) Nuclear DNA amounts in angiosperms.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 274: 227-274.
1982 = BENNETT MD, SMITH JB, HESLOP-HARRISON JS. (1982). Nuclear DNA
amounts in
angiosperms. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 216:179-199.
1991 = BENNETT MD and SMITH JB (1991) Nuclear DNA amounts in angiosperms.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 334: 309-345
1995 = BENNETT, MD and LEITCH IJ (1995) Nuclear DNA amounts in angiosperms.
Annals of Botany 76: 113-176
1997= BENNETT MD, and LEITCH IJ (1997) Nuclear DNA amounts in angiosperms
- 583
new estimates. Annals of Botany 80: 169-196
Anyone know what angiosperm has the smallest genome according to the Kew
Site? Hint: It is not arabidopsis. How about the cereal with the smallest
genome? Hint: It is not rice.
Phillip San Miguel
Purdue Genomics Facility
Mary Polacco wrote:
> Dear Dr. Marlorny,
>> You might like to visit also the www site at the Kew Gardens
>>http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/cval/database1.html>> that has this information for many angiosperms, including soybean and maize.
>> -Mary Polacco
>> >
> > Hi everybody!
> >
> > Does anybody know the genome size of maize and soybean? Do you have
> > literature or web sites about their genome sizes?
> >
> > Thank's for help
> >
> > Dr. B. Malorny
> > Congen Biotechnologie GmbH
> > Germany
> >
> >
