Importance of 'self-DNA' for maintaining diversity among species

In natural plant communities, diversity is maintained by limits set on each plant by itself. This involves a detrimental effect of self-DNA -- DNA from the same species released during decomposition -- on the plant's and its offspring's growth. New research finds that this process not only regulates plant populations but may also be generalized to a range of additional organisms including algae, protozoa, fungi, and animals.

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