Welcome to the GSAD: Genome Size in Asteraceae Database (Release 3.0) NEW
The GSAD is an exhaustive catalogue of genome size data for the family Asteraceae. Genome sizes are now available for 1,555 species based on 4,350 records from 198 publications released until July 2018. The current update represents around 40% increase of data entries with respect to release 2. There are 337 species (21.67%) and 46 genera (19,83%) recorded for the first time.
The main goal of the database is to serve as a tool aiming to make Asteraceae genome size information accessible to scientists interested in genome characterisation and evolution with basic (e.g. plant molecular systematics, NGS programs, evo-devo research) or applied (e.g. barcoding, breeding, races or raw material identification) focuses.
The database holds data from papers already published or in press up to July 2018. Regular updates are planned.
The genome size of a given organism is defined as “C-value” (“C” indicating constancy, Swift, 1950) and concerns the gametic nuclear DNA content, irrespective of the ploidy level of the taxon (see Greilhuber et al., 2005, for concepts and terminological precision). It is thought to be characteristic of a particular genotype (Bennett and Leitch 2005).
Since the late 1950s, plant genome size estimates have been on the increase due to technological advances, from older, slow chemical extraction methods to the more recent flow or image cytometry. At present, flow cytometry is the technique used for most plant genome size estimation.
The Asteraceae are one of the largest Angiosperm families (24,000-30,000 species and 1,600-2,000 genera), economically important and distributed worldwide.
References:
- Bennett MD, Leitch IJ. 2005. Genome size evolution in plants. In: Gregory TR (ed.). The Evolution of the Genome. San Diego: Elsevier. Pp. 89–162.
- Greilhuber J, Doležel J, Lysák MA, Bennett MD. 2005. The origin, evolution and proposed stabilization of the terms “genome size” and “C-value” to describe nuclear DNA contents. Annals of Botany 95: 255–260.
- Swift H. 1950. The constancy of deoxyribose nucleic acid in plant nuclei. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 36: 643–654.