Genome, heterozygosity, polyploidy, phenotype, genes, euploid, aneuploid.

The application of new molecular technology has greatly increased our understanding of the role of chromosomal change in plant evolution. There is now a broad database on genome size variation within and among species and a wide array of nuclear and cytoplasmic genetic markers. There is a variety of literatures addressing this subject but much of it is scattered. This book created a contemporary synthesis or work in this area and addresses issues such as herogeneity, polyploidy, chromosomal rearrangements within species and phenotypic consequences of chromosome doubling.

This reference book provides information on plant cytogenetics for students, instructors, and researchers. Topics covered by international experts include classical cytogenetics of plant genomes; plant chromosome structure; functional, molecular cytology; and genome dynamics. In addition, chapters are included on several methods in plant cytogenetics, informatics, and even laboratory exercises for aspiring or practiced instructors. The book provides a unique combination of historical and modern subject matter, revealing the central role of plant cytogenetics in plant genetics and genomics as currently practiced. This breadth of coverage, together with the inclusion of methods and instruction, is intended to convey a deep and useful appreciation for plant cytogenetics. We hope it will inform and inspire students, researchers, and teachers to continue to employ plant cytogenetics to address fundamental questions about the cytology of plant chromosomes and genomes for years to come. Hank W. Bass is a Professor in the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University. James A. Birchler is a Professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri.

What are species? What are the factors involved in their evolution? Dr Max King presents an up-to-date synthesis of theoretical, experimental and descriptive perspectives on speciation in higher organisms. The book provides a fresh insight into the processes involved in speciation utilizing the multi-dimensional databases now available. The author clearly and concisely analyses the most recent research in plant and animal populations, concentrating on the evolutionary processes, the role of chromosomes and the genetic mechanisms involved in speciation. This book will be essential reading for research workers in genetics, evolutionary studies, botany and zoology, as well as being of interest to advanced students entering the field.

Recent major advances in the field of comparative genomics and cytogenomics of plants, particularly associated with the completion of ambitious genome projects, have uncovered astonishing facets of the architecture and evolutionary history of plant genomes. The aim of this book was to review these recent developments as well as their implications in our understanding of the mechanisms which drive plant diversity. New insights into the evolution of gene functions, gene families and genome size are presented, with particular emphasis on the evolutionary impact of polyploidization and transposable elements. Knowledge on the structure and evolution of plant sex chromosomes, centromeres and microRNAs is reviewed and updated. Taken together, the contributions by internationally recognized experts present a panoramic overview of the structural features and evolutionary dynamics of plant genomes.This volume of Genome Dynamics will provide researchers, teachers and students in the fields of biology and agronomy with a valuable source of current knowledge on plant genomes.

Polyploidy – whole-genome duplication (WGD) – is a fundamental driver of biodiversity with significant consequences for genome structure, organization, and evolution. Once considered a speciation process common only in plants, polyploidy is now recognized to have played a major role in the structure, gene content, and evolution of most eukaryotic genomes. In fact, the diversity of eukaryotes seems closely tied to multiple WGDs. Polyploidy generates new genomic interactions – initially resulting in “genomic and transcriptomic shock” – that must be resolved in a new polyploid lineage. This process essentially acts as a “reset” button, resulting in genomic changes that may ultimately promote adaptive speciation. This book brings together for the first time the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of polyploid genome evolution with syntheses of the patterns and processes of genome evolution in diverse polyploid groups. Because polyploidy is most common and best studied in plants, the book emphasizes plant models, but recent studies of vertebrates and fungi are providing fresh perspectives on factors that allow polyploid speciation and shape polyploid genomes. The emerging paradigm is that polyploidy – through alterations in genome structure and gene regulation – generates genetic and phenotypic novelty that manifests itself at the chromosomal, physiological, and organismal levels, with long-term ecological and evolutionary consequences.

The past two decades have brought with them remarkable progress in plant chromosomal research. The chromosome structure has been clarified in great detail, enabling identification of gene sequences at the microscopic level, which has aided the analysis of biodiversity. Knowledge of chromosome structure has played a crucial role in the improvement of crop species and has far-reaching implications. The manipulation and engineering of chromosomes involves a panoply of novel methods, combining conventional and modern techniques of biotechnology. A working knowledge of such techniques is essential for today's students and researchers, and the plant system, because of totipotency, requires special treatment. This treatise covers all the latest methods involved in the study of evolution, biodiversity, chromosome manipulation and engineering.

It is said that "necessity is the mother of invention". To be sure, wheels and pulleys were invented out of necessity by the tenacious minds of upright citi zens. Looking at the history of mankind, however, one has to add that "Ieisure is the mother of cultural improvement". Man's creative genius flourished only when his mind, freed from the worry of daily toils, was permitted to entertain apparently useless thoughts. In the same manner, one might say with regard to evolution that "natural selection mere(y tnodifted, while redundanry created". Natural selection has been extremely effective in policing alleHe mutations which arise in already existing gene loci. Because of natural selection, organisms have been able to adapt to changing environments, and by adaptive radiation many new species were created from a common ancestral form. Y et, being an effective policeman, natural selection is extremely conservative by nature. Had evolution been entirely dependent upon natural selection, from a bacterium only numerous forms of bacteria would have emerged. The creation of metazoans, vertebrates and finally mammals from unicellular organisms would have been quite impos sible, for such big leaps in evolution required the creation of new gene loci with previously nonexistent functions. Only the cistron which became redun dant was able to escape from the relentless pressure of natural selection, and by escaping, it accumulated formerly forbidden mutations to emerge as a new gene locus.

Cytogenomics demonstrates that chromosomes are crucial in understanding the human genome and that new high-throughput approaches are central to advancing cytogenetics in the 21st century. After an introduction to (molecular) cytogenetics, being the basic of all cytogenomic research, this book highlights the strengths and newfound advantages of cytogenomic research methods and technologies, enabling researchers to jump-start their own projects and more effectively gather and interpret chromosomal data. Methods discussed include banding and molecular cytogenetics, molecular combing, molecular karyotyping, next-generation sequencing, epigenetic study approaches, optical mapping/karyomapping, and CRISPR-cas9 applications for cytogenomics. The book's second half demonstrates recent applications of cytogenomic techniques, such as characterizing 3D chromosome structure across different tissue types and insights into multilayer organization of chromosomes, role of repetitive elements and noncoding RNAs in human genome, studies in topologically associated domains, interchromosomal interactions, and chromoanagenesis. This book is an important reference source for researchers, students, basic and translational scientists, and clinicians in the areas of human genetics, genomics, reproductive medicine, gynecology, obstetrics, internal medicine, oncology, bioinformatics, medical genetics, and prenatal testing, as well as genetic counselors, clinical laboratory geneticists, bioethicists, and fertility specialists. - Offers applied approaches empowering a new generation of cytogenomic research using a balanced combination of classical and advanced technologies - Provides a framework for interpreting chromosome structure and how this affects the functioning of the genome in health and disease - Features chapter contributions from international leaders in the field