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The base composition of the krill genome and its potential susceptibility to damage by UV-B

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2004

Simon Jarman ,
Nicholas Elliott ,
Stephen Nicol ,
Andrew McMinn  and
Stuart Newman
Simon Jarman
Affiliation:
Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-77, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Nicholas Elliott
Affiliation:
CSIRO Marine Research, GPO Box 1538, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Stephen Nicol
Affiliation:
Australian Antarctic Division, Channel Highway, Kingston, TAS 7050, Australia
Andrew McMinn
Affiliation:
Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-77, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Stuart Newman
Affiliation:
Zoology Department, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-05, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
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Abstract

We have determined the base composition (percentage of guanine-cytosine base pairs, GC%) of total DNA from Euphausia superba to be 32% ± 0.5%. This is the lowest GC% recorded for a metazoan. Low GC% DNA has high concentrations of thymine (T) residues and consequently a greater abundance of adjacent T residues [T(n) arrays]. Ultraviolet B (280–320 nm, UV-B) radiation damages DNA primarily at (T)n arrays, so we suggest that krill DNA may be more susceptible to damage from increased levels of UV-B radiation over the Southern Ocean than the DNA of other Antarctic organisms.

Keywords

base compositionDNAEuphausia superba Danakrillozone depletionUV-B
Type
Papers—Life Sciences and Oceanography
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 11 , Issue 1 , March 1999 , pp. 23 - 26
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1999

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