Grower, not a shower: This tiny Guinness World Record-breaking fern has 50x more DNA than humans!
Jun 1, 2024, 17:20 IST
Did you know that onions have more than ten times the amount of DNA as humans? Therefore, it would actually be somewhat biologically accurate to call someone “simpler” than an onion, if you really want to be fancy with your insults.
However, most experts would agree that the length of your DNA has nothing to do with your complexity as an organism. That being said, it is quite fascinating how the seemingly simplest organisms boast some of the longest DNA strands, such as the Japanese flowering plant Paris japonica with a genome size of 148.89 genome base pairs (Gbp). And now, researchers have discovered the new record-holder for the largest amount of DNA stored in the nucleus of any living organism on the planet — and it belongs to a tiny fern!
The New Caledonian fork fern species, Tmesipteris oblanceolata, has astonished scientists with a genome size of 160.45 gigabase pairs, surpassing the previous record held by Paris japonica. The fern's DNA, when unraveled, measures over 106 meters, making it taller than the Qutub Minar or Statue of Liberty!
For comparison, the human genome, composed of approximately 3.1 Gbp across 23 chromosomes, only stretches to about 2 metres when fully extended. In fact, its extraordinarily large genome has earned the fern three Guinness World Records titles: Largest plant genome, Largest genome, and Largest fern genome.
Tmesipteris oblanceolata is a rare and understudied fern species found in New Caledonia, an island nation in the Southwest Pacific, and neighboring islands such as Vanuatu. To study the planet, lead researchers of the study, Jaume Pellicer and Oriane Hidalgo embarked on a meticulous journey to collect and analyse samples of Tmesipteris in 2023.
Their research involved isolating the nuclei from thousands of cells, staining them with dye, and measuring the bound dye to estimate the genome size. Their efforts paid off when they confirmed T. oblanceolata's genome size, which is about 7% larger than P. japonica's.
"For a long time, we thought that breaking the previous size record of Paris japonica was going to be an impossible mission, but once again, the limits of biology have surpassed our most optimistic predictions,” remarks Dr Pellicer.
However, having a larger genome is not typically advantageous, as it often results in slower growth and less efficient photosynthesis. This is because larger genomes necessitate larger cells and longer replication times, which can influence how species grow, reproduce, and adapt to their environments. But it does provide fascinating insights into the adaptability and survival of these plants in their native habitats.
The findings of this research have been published in iScience and can be accessed here.
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However, most experts would agree that the length of your DNA has nothing to do with your complexity as an organism. That being said, it is quite fascinating how the seemingly simplest organisms boast some of the longest DNA strands, such as the Japanese flowering plant Paris japonica with a genome size of 148.89 genome base pairs (Gbp). And now, researchers have discovered the new record-holder for the largest amount of DNA stored in the nucleus of any living organism on the planet — and it belongs to a tiny fern!
The New Caledonian fork fern species, Tmesipteris oblanceolata, has astonished scientists with a genome size of 160.45 gigabase pairs, surpassing the previous record held by Paris japonica. The fern's DNA, when unraveled, measures over 106 meters, making it taller than the Qutub Minar or Statue of Liberty!
For comparison, the human genome, composed of approximately 3.1 Gbp across 23 chromosomes, only stretches to about 2 metres when fully extended. In fact, its extraordinarily large genome has earned the fern three Guinness World Records titles: Largest plant genome, Largest genome, and Largest fern genome.
Tmesipteris oblanceolata is a rare and understudied fern species found in New Caledonia, an island nation in the Southwest Pacific, and neighboring islands such as Vanuatu. To study the planet, lead researchers of the study, Jaume Pellicer and Oriane Hidalgo embarked on a meticulous journey to collect and analyse samples of Tmesipteris in 2023.
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"For a long time, we thought that breaking the previous size record of Paris japonica was going to be an impossible mission, but once again, the limits of biology have surpassed our most optimistic predictions,” remarks Dr Pellicer.
However, having a larger genome is not typically advantageous, as it often results in slower growth and less efficient photosynthesis. This is because larger genomes necessitate larger cells and longer replication times, which can influence how species grow, reproduce, and adapt to their environments. But it does provide fascinating insights into the adaptability and survival of these plants in their native habitats.
The findings of this research have been published in iScience and can be accessed here.