0000000000030815
AUTHOR
Angelo Libertini
Comparative Cytogenetic Analysis of Three Stylommatophoran Slugs (Mollusca, Pulmonata)
system is still controversial because phylogeny and systematic relationships at the family level are poorly understood. Besides morphological studies, ribosomal RNA genes and the H3/H4 histone gene cluster (Ambruster et al., 2005; Wade et al., 2006) have also been used to resolve the relationships within this order. Recently, by comparison of primary sequence of mitochondrial and nuclear genes, Grande et al. (2004) resolved the Stylommatophora as the early split monophyletic sister group of all the other gastropod taxa. Available data on the cytogenetics of Stylommatophora are extremely poor (reviewed by Patterson, 1969, and Thiriot-Quievreux, 2003) and mostly concern the haploid (n) and/ o…
Cytogenetics of the land snails Cantareus aspersus and C. mazzullii (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Pulmonata).
A cytogenetic study was carried out on the chromosomes and nuclear DNA contents of the land snails Cantareus aspersus and C. mazzullii (Gastropoda: Pulmonata). Chromosomes were studied using Giemsa staining, banding methods and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with three repetitive DNA probes [18S rDNA, (GATA)n and (TTAGGG)n]. Results were very similar in the two species both showing (1) 54 bi-armed chromosomes [submetacentrics (SM) C metacentrics (M) C subtelocentrics (ST)]; (2) 10 terminal NORs after sequential application of rDNA FISH and silver staining; (3) uniform DNA fluorescence with CMA3 and DAPI staining and (4) genomic composition considerably enriched both in highly- and…
CYTOGENETICS OF THE AMPHIPOD JASSA MARMORATA (COROPHIOIDEA: ISCHYROCERIDAE): KARYOTYPE MORPHOLOGY, CHROMOSOME BANDING, FLUORESCENTIN SITUHYBRIDIZATION, AND NUCLEAR DNA CONTENT
Abstract Developing embryos proved to be a suitable source of cells for advanced cytological investigations on Amphipods. Conventional karyotyping, Ag- and fluorochrome-staining, C-banding, endonuclease digestion, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and nuclear DNA flow cytometric assay were tested in the Ischyroceridae Jassa marmorata. The karyotype consists of 6 chromosome pairs of which 5 are metacentric and 1 subtelocentric. The rDNA/FISH revealed that major ribosomal cistrons are located on the telomeric regions in the short arm of pair 6. A marked size variation of hybridization signals was observed. Silver and fluorochrome staining enhanced no chromosome regions. Constitutive he…
FISH mapping of 18S rDNA and (TTAGGG)n sequences in two pipefish species (Gasteroisteiformes: Syngnathidae).
1Istituto di Scienze Marine, Sezione di Venezia, CNR, Castello 1364/a, 30122 Venezia, Italy 2Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Universita di Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo, Italy 3Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Universita “Ca’ Foscari”, Castello 2737/b 30122 Venezia, Italy 4Istituto di Ecologia e Biologia Ambientale, Universita di Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Via I. Maggetti 22, 61029 Urbino (PU), Italy
Chromosomal location polymorphism of major rDNA sites in two Mediterranean populations of the killifih Aphanius fasciatus (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae)
The chromosomes of the Mediterranean killifish, Aphanius fasciatus from two populations, the Lagoon of Venice (LV, 15 specimens) and the Lagoon ‘Stagnone di Marsala’ (Sicily) (SM, 48 specimens), have been investigated using conventional Ag-staining and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with 18S rDNA probe. The two methods revealed variation in the number of major rDNA sites ranging from 8 to 14 (LV) and from 1 to 4 (SM) per individual. The fact that each individual possessed its own number of sites implies that observed variation was structural. Moreover, overlapping of silver staining and FISH patterns demonstrated that all ribosomal genes were transcriptionally active in each speci…
FISH mapping of 18S-28S and 5S ribosomal DNA, (GATA)n and (TTAGGG)n telomeric repeats in the periwinkle Melarhaphe neritoides (Prosobranchia, Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda)
Spermatocyte chromosomes of Melarhaphe neritoides (Mollusca, Prosobranchia, Caenogastropoda) were studied using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with four repetitive DNA probes (18S rDNA, 5S rDNA, (TTAGGG)n and (GATA)n). Single-colour FISH consistently mapped one chromosome pair per spread using either 18S or 5S rDNA as probes. The telomeric sequence (TTAGGG)n hybridized with termini of all chromosomes whereas the (GATA)n probe did not label any areas. Simultaneous 18S-5S rDNA and 18S-(TTAGGG)n FISH demonstrated that repeated units of the three multicopy families are closely associated on the same chromosome pair.
Karyotypes, Banding Patterns and Nuclear DNA Content inCrepidula unguiformisLamarck, 1822, andNaticarius stercusmuscarum(Gmelin, 1791) (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda)
ABSTRACT The chromosome complement and the nuclear DNA content in two caenogastropod species from the Mediterranean Sea, Crepidula unguiformis (Calyptraeidae) and Naticarius stercusmuscarum (Naticidae), were investigated by the application of both classical and molecular cytogenetic methods. Despite the constancy of haploid chromosome numbers (n = 17 in both species), C. unguiformis and N. stercusmuscarum show genome sizes amounting to 6.36 and 2.63 pg, respectively. Moreover, while N. stercusmuscarum resembles cytogenetically the other neotaenioglossan caenogastropods studied so far, C. unguiformis differs in: (i) number and location of rDNA clusters (ii), composition of telomeric repeats,…
Heterochromatin of the scarab beetle, Bubas bison (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) II. Evidence for AT-rich compartmentalization and a high amount of rDNA copies
An unexpected result arising from a previous characterization of the scarab beetle Bubas bison (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) heterochromatin was its unusual homogeneous reaction to different staining methods. In particular, silver stainability of heterochromatic ends of all chromosomes prevented identification of the number of rDNA transcriptionally active regions. Data formerly obtained using silver impregnation (Ag-NOR), C- G- and DAPI banding are here improved and completed by application of CMA(3) staining and rDNA FISH with the aim to investigate heterochromatin base composition and locate rDNA regions with respect to NOR-associated heterochromatin. Our results show that B. bison has a hi…