title: Intrapopulation genome size variation in D. melanogaster reflects life history variation and plasticity.
abstract: We determined female genome sizes using flow cytometry for 211 Drosophila melanogaster sequenced inbred strains from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel, and found significant conspecific and intrapopulation variation in genome size. We also compared several life history traits for 25 lines with large and 25 lines with small genomes in three thermal environments, and found that genome size as well as genome size by temperature interactions significantly correlated with survival to pupation and adulthood, time to pupation, female pupal mass, and female eclosion rates. Genome size accounted for up to 23% of the variation in developmental phenotypes, but the contribution of genome size to variation in life history traits was plastic and varied according to the thermal environment. Expression data implicate differences in metabolism that correspond to genome size variation. These results indicate that significant genome size variation exists within D. melanogaster and this variation may impact the evolutionary ecology of the species. Genome size variation accounts for a significant portion of life history variation in an environmentally dependent manner, suggesting that potential fitness effects associated with genome size variation also depend on environmental conditions.
authors: Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
authors: Lisa L
authors: LL
authors: Ellis
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors: Wen
authors: W
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America; University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
authors: Andrew M
authors: AM
authors: Quinn
authors: Baylor Human Genome Sequencing Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
authors: Astha
authors: A
authors: Ahuja
authors: Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
authors: Ben
authors: B
authors: Alfrejd
authors: Department of Soil and Crop Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
authors: Francisco E
authors: FE
authors: Gomez
authors: Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
authors: Carl E
authors: CE
authors: Hjelmen
authors: Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
authors: Kristi L
authors: KL
authors: Moore
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors: Trudy F C
authors: TF
authors: Mackay
authors: Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
authors: J Spencer
authors: JS
authors: Johnston
authors: Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
authors: Aaron M
authors: AM
authors: Tarone
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D059646:Genome Size; D049750:Genome, Insect; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007301:Insect Hormones; C042645:eclosion hormone