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P.579 left column bottom paragraph: "Because their genomes are among the largest—typically 20–30 gigabases pairs (Gb)—of all organisms, genome-wide analyses of conifers are particularly challenging. Thus, no full genome sequence of a gymnosperm species is available at present, whereas 30 angiosperm and more basal plant genomes have been sequenced. However, size is not the only challenge to sequencing presented by conifer genomes. Conifers are typically outbreeding, produce wind-dispersed pollen, have very large effective population sizes, and their genomes are highly heterozygous, although their nucleotide substitution rates are lower than those of most angiosperms (refs 8, 9), perhaps owing to long lifespan (decades to centuries). Furthermore, inbreeding depression negates the production of inbred lines that could facilitate genome assembly." |