The nucleotypic effects of cellular DNA content in cartilaginous and ray-finned fishes
Abstract
Cytological and organismal characteristics associated with cellular DNA content underpin most adaptionist interpretations of genome size variation. Since fishes are the only group of vertebrate for which relationships between genome size and key cellular parameters are uncertain, the cytological correlates of genome size were examined in this group. The cell and nuclear areas of erythrocytes showed a highly significant positive correlation with each other and with genome size across 22 cartilaginous and 201 ray-finned fishes. Regressions remained significant at all taxonomic levels, as well as among different fish lineages. However, the results revealed that cartilaginous fishes possess higher cytogenomic ratios than ray-finned fishes, as do cold-water fishes relative to their warm-water counterparts. Increases in genome size owing to ploidy shifts were found to influence cell and nucleus size in an immediate and causative manner, an effect that persists in ancient polyploid lineages. These correlations with cytological parameters known to have important influences on organismal phenotypes support an adaptive interpretation for genome size variation in fishes.Key words: evolution, genome size, DNA content, cell size, erythrocyte size, fishes, nucleotypic effect.
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Genome size is tightly coupled to cell size and, in turn, to cell-division and developmental rate across fishes and other vertebrates.
“Genome size is tightly coupled to cell size and, in turn, to cell-division and developmental rate across fishes and other vertebrates (e.g., refs. 47, 48, 52, and 54).”
From Convergent genome streamlining accompanies independent miniaturization in the world’s smallest fishes (2026) · cites this paper as [52]
Both loaches/Psilorhynchidae and progenetic miniatures inhabit physiologically demanding environments, which has been linked to selection for smaller genomes through the relationship between cell size, nuclear DNA content, and metabolic rate.
“Both groups therefore inhabit physiologically demanding environments, which has been linked to selection for smaller genomes through the relationship between cell size, nuclear DNA content, and metabolic rate (e.g., refs. 45, 47, and 51–53).”
From Convergent genome streamlining accompanies independent miniaturization in the world’s smallest fishes (2026) · cites this paper as [52]
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Sudasinghe, H., Matschiner, M., Britz, R., Conway, K. W., Tan, H. H., Salzburger, W., Peichel, C. L., & Rüber, L. (2026) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2614605123
- Authors
- Hardie, D. C., & Hebert, P. D. N.
- Affiliations
- University of Guelph (CA)
- ORCID
- Hebert, Paul D.N
- Venue
- Genome
- Publisher
- Canadian Science Publishing
- Published
- 2003-08-01
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 683-706
- ISSN
- 0831-2796 (ISSN-L)
- 1480-3321
- OpenAlex
- W1986299311
- Cited by
- 149
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 5.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Genome (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Francis Crick Institute
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Keywords
- genome size variation, cellular DNA content, Chondrichthyes, Actinopterygii, erythrocyte size, nuclear size, polyploidy, cold-water fish
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cell Nucleus, DNA, Erythrocytes, Fishes, Temperature, Genetic Variation, Genome, Cell Size
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