Effect of cellular nutrient economy on the evolution of genome size in phytoplankton
Abstract
The origin of genome size variation remains a central question in evolutionary biology. Previous analyses suggest that the energetic costs of small insertions and deletions (indels) influence genome size by altering the cellular energy budget. Here, we present a theoretical framework for genome evolution in phytoplankton-the main producers of the sunlit ocean-whose growth depends on nutrient availability. We derive an expression for the selection coefficient on indels as a function of four parameters, including the minimum amount of nutrient inside the cell. Parameter estimates indicate that 1-bp indels can be counterselected in phytoplankton with minimal nutrient requirements. We then test three predictions of nutrient-driven selection on genome evolution. Altogether, this model provides a quantitative and mathematical basis for the genome streamlining hypothesis.
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BibTeX
@article{caceres2026effect,
title = {{Effect of cellular nutrient economy on the evolution of genome size in phytoplankton}},
author = {Carlos Caceres and Marc Krasovec and Olivier Crispi and Sebastien Gourbiere and Gwenael Piganeau},
journal = {Science Advances},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aee2207},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05348523v2},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effect of cellular nutrient economy on the evolution of genome size in phytoplankton
AU - Carlos Caceres
AU - Marc Krasovec
AU - Olivier Crispi
AU - Sebastien Gourbiere
AU - Gwenael Piganeau
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/08
JO - Science Advances
DO - 10.1126/sciadv.aee2207
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05348523v2
AB - The origin of genome size variation remains a central question in evolutionary biology. Previous analyses suggest that the energetic costs of small insertions and deletions (indels) influence genome size by altering the cellular energy budget. Here, we present a theoretical framework for genome evolution in phytoplankton-the main producers of the sunlit ocean-whose growth depends on nutrient availability. We derive an expression for the selection coefficient on indels as a function of four parameters, including the minimum amount of nutrient inside the cell. Parameter estimates indicate that 1-bp indels can be counterselected in phytoplankton with minimal nutrient requirements. We then test three predictions of nutrient-driven selection on genome evolution. Altogether, this model provides a quantitative and mathematical basis for the genome streamlining hypothesis.
SN - 2375-2548
ER -