When: Wednesday 6th December 2023, 12-12:45 PM CET.
Where: Zoom (email joseph.robertson@nmbu.no if you would like to receive the Zoom link)
Title: Genomic Factors and Impacts of Genomic Size Variation in the Unicellular Green Alga, Closterium psl. Complex
Abstract: Genome sizes are known to vary within and among closely related species, but the knowledge about genomic factors and their impacts on gene functions is limited to a few species. We identified a more than two-fold heritable genome size variation in the unicellular alga, Closterium psl. complex. Whole genome sequencing revealed that the variation was primarily due to genome-wide copy number variation (CNV), rather than specific repeat sequences. In this talk, I will discuss the reasons behind the maintenance of extensive CNVs in the alga, focusing on their functional bias and expression patterns.