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Re-evaluating evidence for giant genomes in amoebae

Barzilay, Daniel ; Alcino, João P.B. ; Ribeiro, Giulia M. LU ; Sousa, Alfredo L.P. and Lahr, Daniel J.G. (2024) In Genetics and Molecular Biology 47(suppl 1).
Abstract

Here we reassess available evidence for the long-held misconception of amoebae possessing exceptionally large genomes. Traditionally, estimates relied on inaccurate methods like DNA weight measurements, leading to inflated sizes. These methods failed to account for contaminating DNA from prey, endosymbionts, and intrinsic genomic features like ribosomal operon amplification. Modern sequencing techniques unveil a different picture. Fully sequenced amoebozoa genomes range from 14.4 to 52.37 mega basepairs, well within the typical single-celled eukaryote expectation. While the whole genome of the historically relevant Amoeba proteus has not yet been fully sequenced, we provide here a statistical analysis using protein-coding genes from... (More)

Here we reassess available evidence for the long-held misconception of amoebae possessing exceptionally large genomes. Traditionally, estimates relied on inaccurate methods like DNA weight measurements, leading to inflated sizes. These methods failed to account for contaminating DNA from prey, endosymbionts, and intrinsic genomic features like ribosomal operon amplification. Modern sequencing techniques unveil a different picture. Fully sequenced amoebozoa genomes range from 14.4 to 52.37 mega basepairs, well within the typical single-celled eukaryote expectation. While the whole genome of the historically relevant Amoeba proteus has not yet been fully sequenced, we provide here a statistical analysis using protein-coding genes from transcriptomic data, suggesting that the genome size is consistent with this range, far smaller than previously claimed. The misconception likely originated in the early 21st century and perpetuated through popular science materials. We conclude that there is no longer reason to reaffirm that amoeba genomes are giant.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biodiversity, Genome evolution, microbial diversity, next-generation sequencing
in
Genetics and Molecular Biology
volume
47
issue
suppl 1
article number
e20240092
publisher
Sociedade Brasileira de Genética
external identifiers
  • scopus:86000040971
  • pmid:39873136
ISSN
1415-4757
DOI
10.1590/1678-4685-GMB-2024-0092
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a22dec5a-c9b0-4855-af11-7397ccfcd8ff
date added to LUP
2025-06-04 09:36:52
date last changed
2025-07-16 13:21:37
@article{a22dec5a-c9b0-4855-af11-7397ccfcd8ff,
  abstract     = {{<p>Here we reassess available evidence for the long-held misconception of amoebae possessing exceptionally large genomes. Traditionally, estimates relied on inaccurate methods like DNA weight measurements, leading to inflated sizes. These methods failed to account for contaminating DNA from prey, endosymbionts, and intrinsic genomic features like ribosomal operon amplification. Modern sequencing techniques unveil a different picture. Fully sequenced amoebozoa genomes range from 14.4 to 52.37 mega basepairs, well within the typical single-celled eukaryote expectation. While the whole genome of the historically relevant Amoeba proteus has not yet been fully sequenced, we provide here a statistical analysis using protein-coding genes from transcriptomic data, suggesting that the genome size is consistent with this range, far smaller than previously claimed. The misconception likely originated in the early 21<sup>st</sup> century and perpetuated through popular science materials. We conclude that there is no longer reason to reaffirm that amoeba genomes are giant.</p>}},
  author       = {{Barzilay, Daniel and Alcino, João P.B. and Ribeiro, Giulia M. and Sousa, Alfredo L.P. and Lahr, Daniel J.G.}},
  issn         = {{1415-4757}},
  keywords     = {{biodiversity; Genome evolution; microbial diversity; next-generation sequencing}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{suppl 1}},
  publisher    = {{Sociedade Brasileira de Genética}},
  series       = {{Genetics and Molecular Biology}},
  title        = {{Re-evaluating evidence for giant genomes in amoebae}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1678-4685-GMB-2024-0092}},
  doi          = {{10.1590/1678-4685-GMB-2024-0092}},
  volume       = {{47}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}