Genome size of the European domestic goose (Anser anser domesticus)

Abstract

This work is aimed at determining the C-DNA contained within the nuclei of different types of cells in the domestic goose Anser anser. Cells from the lungs, skin, pancreas, kidney, spleen, liver, heart, brain, blood, ovary and testicle were analysed. Cells from the blood, ovary and testicle were smeared onto microscopic glasses, whereas slides from the other organs and tissues were prepared using the paraffin technique. DNA content, as visualized by the Feulgen reaction using computerized image analysis, was examined in 200 nuclei of every type of cell. Chicken erythrocytes were used as reference material. Different concentrations of chromatin within cell nuclei were observed, from small, dispersed clods to an entirely filled nucleus surface. It was stated that the average C-DNA content in the domestic European goose amounts to 1.306 ± 0.327 pg, which gives goose DNA a length in base pair of 1.277 × 109 ± 0.320 × 109 bp after adjustment. The correlation between nucleus size and the C-DNA content was positive and high. In all cell types it exceeded 0.6. The highest was observed in lung and ovary cells, the lowest in skin and the pancreas. The majority of all cells (57.34%) contain DNA at the range between 1.0 to 1.5 pg, especially those from erythrocytes and the pancreas (82 and 76% respectively). Liver cells demonstrate a tendency toward an amount that is higher than 1.5% of the DNA (78.61% cells). Heart cells reveal a tendency downward (98.99% below 1.5 pg). Less than 1.0 pg of DNA was observed in 17.13% of all examined cells. Key words: Domestic goose, cell, cell nuclei, Feulgen reaction, genome size, DNA mass