Karyotype differentiation patterns in species of the subfamily Scarabaeinae (Scarabaeidae, Coleoptera)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cytogenetics of four species of Spirostreptidae (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida)

Considering an estimated number of millipedes of approximately 80,000, cytogenetic studies on these animals are rare, as only a total of 70 species have their karyotypes described. The present study reports on the chromosomal number of four Brazilian diplopods of the family Spirostreptidae: Urostreptus atrobrunneus with 2n = 24, XY; Gymnostreptus olivaceus 2n = 12, XY and Alloporus araraquarensis and A. principes, 2n = 18, XY. The C-banding pattern and NOR staining of U. atrobrunneus, G. olivaceus and A. araraquarensis are described. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chromosomal mapping of repetitive DNAs in the beetle Dichotomius geminatus provides the first evidence for an association of 5S rRNA and histone H3 genes in insects, and repetitive DNA similarity between the B chromosome and A complement

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mesabolivar brasiliensis (Moenkhaus 1898) and Mesabolivar cyaneotaeniatus (Keyserling 1891) (Araneomorphae, Pholcidae): close relationship reinforced by cytogenetic analyses

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Cytogenetics of four Omophoita species (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Alticinae): A comparative analysis using mitotic and meiotic cells submitted to the standard staining and C-banding technique

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Chromosome evolution in three Brazilian Leptodactylus species (Anura, Leptodactylidae), with phylogenetic considerations

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Chromosomal organization of the 18S and 5S rRNAs and histone H3 genes in Scarabaeinae coleopterans: insights into the evolutionary dynamics of multigene families and heterochromatin

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Chromosomal mapping of rDNAs and H3 histone sequences in the grasshopper rhammatocerus brasiliensis (acrididae, gomphocerinae): extensive chromosomal dispersion and co-localization of 5S rDNA/H3 histone clusters in the A complement and B chromosome

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comparative karyotype analysis and chromosome evolution in the genus Aplastodiscus (Cophomantini, Hylinae, Hylidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Cytogenetic analyses of eight species in the genus Leptodactylus Fitzinger, 1843 (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae), including a new diploid number and a karyotype with multiple translocations

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cytogenetics of a new species of Paratelmatobius cardosoi group (Anura : Leptodactylidae), with the description of an apparent case of pericentric inversion

The karyotype of a new species of Paratelmatobius from the P cardosoi group is described. As with other Paratelmatobius and Scythrophrys karyotypes, Paratelmatobius sp. (aff. cardosoi) shows a diploid number of 24 chromosomes, in addition to other similarities with the former karyotypes. The Paratelmatobius sp. (aff. cardosoi) karyotype differs from that of P. cardosoi in the morphology of pair 4, the NOR location and the C-bands in pairs 3 and 8 (exclusive to Paratelmatobius sp.) and those of pairs 7 and 9 (exclusive to P. cardosoi). Both karyotypes also differ in the amount of heterochromatin in pair 1. The presence of interstitial heterochromatin in the long arm of pair 1 and the interstitial C-bands in both arms of chromosome 5 are apparently synapomorphic characters of P. cardosoi and Paratelmatobius sp. (aff. cardosoi), since they are absent in the other Paratelmatobius and Scythrophrys karyotypes. In Paratelmatobius sp. (aff. cardosoi), the nucleolus organizer region is on the short arm of a small metacentric chromosome (pair 9), an arrangement similar to the NOR-bearing chromosome pair in the karyotype of P. poecilogaster and in karyotype 11 of Scythrophrys. A conspicuous heteromorphism unrelated to the sex determining mechanism was also observed and probably arose from a pericentric inversion.

Chromosome banding in three species of Hypsiboas (Hylidae, Hylinae), with special reference to a new case of B-chromosome in anuran frogs and to the reduction of the diploid number of 2n=24 to 2n=22 in the genus

The chromosomes of hylids Hypsiboas albopunctatus, H. raniceps, and H. crepitans from Brazil were analyzed with standard and differential staining techniques. The former species presented 2n = 22 and 2n = 23 karyotypes, the odd diploid number is due to the presence of an extra element interpreted as B chromosome. Although morphologically very similar to the small-sized chromosomes of the A complement, the B was promptly recognized, even under standard staining, on the basis of some characteristics that are usually attributed to this particular class of chromosomes. The two other species have 2n = 24, which is the chromosome number usually found in the species of Hypsiboas karyotyped so far. This means that 2n = 22 is a deviant diploid number, resulted from a structural rearrangement, altering the chromosome number of 2n = 24 to 2n = 22. Based on new chromosome data, some possibilities were evaluated for the origin of B chromosome in Hypsiboas albopunctatus, as well as the karyotypic evolution in the genus, leading to the reduction in the diploid number of 2n = 24 to 2n = 22.

Comparative cytogenetic analysis on four tree frog species (Anura, Hylidae, Hylinae) from Brazil

A comparative cytogenetic analysis was carried out on four Hylinae tree frogs from Brazil (Aparasphenodon brunoi, Corthomantis greeningi, Osteocephalus langsdorffi and Scinax fuscovarius) using Giemsa staining, BrdU replication banding, Ag-NOR staining, C-banding, DAPI and CMA(3) fluorochrome staining, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with an rDNA probe. All the species share closely similar 2n = 24 karyotypes, almost indistinguishable by standard staining. The technique of BrdU incorporation allowed the identification of each pair of homologs and the establishment of extensive homeology for the great majority of the chromosomes, mainly of A. brunoi, C greeningi, and O. langsdorffii. Despite highly conserved replication banding patterns, the use of the other banding techniques disclosed some minor differsences, which reinforces the importance of extensive cytogenctic analyses for the karyotypic characterization of Anuran species. The present cytogenctic data confirm the closer proximity of A. brunoi, C greeningi, and O. langsdorfjii, whereas S. fuscovarius is phylogenetically more distant. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

Multiple nucleolus organizer regions in Leptodactylus mystacinus (Amphibia, Anura) and comments on its systematic position in the L fuscus group based on cytogenetic and molecular analyses

Specimens of Leptodactylus mystacinus from Brazil were karyotyped with conventional and differential staining. The 2n = 22 karyotype is similar to that found for the majority of the Leptodactylus, the karyotypic conservatism also confirmed by the similarity of the replication banding patterns with those previously described. L. mystacinus has a small amount of C-banded heterochromatin, located mainly at the centromeres, although telomeric or interstitial bands have also been noticed. With DA/CMA(3) some chromosome regions showed slightly bright fluorescence, and with DA/DAPI, no particular AT-rich repetitive region was observed. Silver staining showed an extensive inter- and intraindividual variation in the number and position of Ag-positive regions, in 1p, 4p, 8p, 8q, and 11p. Nevertheless, FISH using rDNA probes confirmed only the signals on the short arms of chromosomes 4 and 8 as true NORs. The remaining silver stained regions are probably due to the heterochromatin with some affinity to the Ag-staining. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial cytochrome b sequence revealed that L. mystacinus forms a basal branch, so that the presence of multiple NORs in pairs 4 and 8 in this species indicates an autapomorphy.

Conserved karyotypes in the Hyla pukhella species group (Anura, Hylidae)

Cytogenetic analyses were done on specimens of Hyla marginata and on three populations of H. semiguttata differing in morphology and in the physical parameters of their advertisement call, as well as in individuals of Hyla sp. (aff. semiguttata). All specimens had 2n = 24 chromosomes with a morphology very similar to that of other 24-chromosome Hyla species. Hyla semiguttata and H. marginata showed the same C-banding pattern but were distinguished by the location of the NOR on pair 1 in H. semiguttata (in the three populations) and Hyla sp. (aff. semiguttata), and on pair 10 in H. marginata. The H. semiguttata populations did not differ cytogenetically, despite variations in their morphology and advertisement calls. Similarly, H. semiguttata and H. p. joaquini studied previously had identical C-banding patterns and NOR locations, suggesting that they are very closely related.