Re-establishing the Molecular Basis of Genetics and Biology: Copy Number Variation and Correlation of Genome-constituent Element Families in Gossypium L.

Breeding and Applied Genomics

oral

Zhang, Meiping; Liu, Yun-Hua ; Zhang, Yang ; Zhang, Hong-Bin

Zhang, Meiping

Zhang, Hong-Bin

A genome is an organic entity hosting the entire genetic material (DNA) of an organism that contains almost all biological information necessary for a life. Therefore, it is crucial to understanding a genome and associated biology to study the genome not only by genome dissection followed by isolated analysis of individual elements, but also by genome assembly followed by systems analysis of its constituent elements, and not only in its genes, but also in its other constituent elements. In our previous studies, we showed that DNA contained in a genome is structured as a “Jigsaw Puzzle”, i.e., the DNA “Jigsaw Puzzle” structure model. Therefore, variation in any of [1] the content of the fundamental functional elements (FFE) constituting the DNA “Jigsaw Puzzle” structure, including types, number counts and ratios of FFE and their families; [2] FFE array including FFE movement and chromosomal rearrangements, [3] FFE interaction and network, and [4] FFE sequences including nucleotide insertion, deletion and substitution, would possibly result in the variation of the host organism in morphology, physiology, biology and complexity. Here, we show the copy number variation of cotton genome’s FFE families among lines within a species and among species within Gossypium. We also show the copy number correlation, correlation network variation, and correlation network evolution of different FFE families in Gossypium. Our results showed that the copy number variation and correlation network of the FFE families are shaped not only by external forces such as artificial and natural selection, but maybe also by internal forces such as polyploidization. We revealed that both the copy number and correlation network variation and evolution of the FFE families are significantly associated with the speciation and evolution of the host plant species, suggesting their roles in genetics and biology of the host species. Therefore, these findings provide further evidence of the DNA “Jigsaw Puzzle” structure model and the new molecular basis of genetics as well as epigenetics in plants.