title: Intra- and interspecific variation in DNA content in Cistus (Cistaceae).
abstract: Flow cytometry, using propidium iodide and 4',6-diamidano-2-phenylindole staining, was used to estimate the nuclear DNA content (2C) and the proportion of A-T base pairs in 16 species of the Mediterranean genus Cistus. Genome sizes were shown to be constant within species, since no significant intraspecific variation in 2C DNA content was detected. At the genus level, up to about 1.5-fold differences in absolute DNA amounts were observed, ranging from 3.92 pg in C. crispus to 5.88 pg in C. monspeliensis. The (AT) : (GC) ratio was close to 1, and was similar for all species examined, ranging from 47.87% A-T content in C clusii, to 50.67% in C. populifolius. Pink-flowered species (subgenus Cistus) had lower DNA amounts than white-flowered species (subgenera Leucocistus and Halimioides). However, the distribution of DNA amounts in Cistus appeared to be continuous and did not permit a clear separation of infra-generic ranks in the genus.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ellul
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boscaiu
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Josep A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rosselló
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D029758:Cistus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018745:Genome, Plant; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant