Research advances in plant genome size in relation to functional traits and environmental adaptation.

Abstract

Plant genome size, the sum of the DNA content of a complete set of haplo groups within a given plant species, is an important aspect of biological characterization. There is abundant genome size diversity in eukaryotes. Plant genome size is closely associated with a range of functional traits from the nucleus to individual level, exerts a vital role in shaping plant functional traits, and helps plants present different response strategies to environmental variables. We viewed the relationship between plant genome size and functional traits, such as cell size, stomatal size and density, photosynthetic functional traits, cell cycle, and seed mass. Their response and adaptation mechanisms to environmental variables, such as temperature, precipitation, altitude, nutrients, and heavy metal pollution, were discussed. Finally, the combination of genome size with functional traits and environmental adaptations was encouraged to deeply explore the response and adaptation mechanisms of plants to environmental changes in the context of global change.