Intraspecific crosses resulting in the first occurrence of eight and nine B chromosomes in Prochilodus lineatus (Characiformes, Prochilodontidae)

B chromosomes are supernumerary elements present in about 15% of eukaryotic species and are most frequently heterochromatic, behave parasitically, show a transmission rate higher than standard (A) chromosomes, and can provoke harmful effects on carriers. In the current work, Prochilodus lineatus individuals carrying eight and nine B chromosomes were obtained by induced crossing performed involving breeders with different B chromosome numbers in their cells. The high B chromosome numbers found in the offspring were recorded for the first time in this species. The use of cytogenetic techniques applied in the present study revealed that regardless of the increase in number of B chromosomes in the genome of these individuals, those elements did not presented active genes, and showed their normal heterochromatic characteristic

Cytogenetic analysis and chromosomal characteristics of the polymorphic 18S rDNA in the fish Prochilodus lineatus (Characiformes, Prochilodontidae)

We used differential staining techniques (BSG, GTG, AgNO3, DAPI and CMA3 banding) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with 5S and 18S probes to investigated the karyotypic and cytogenetic chracteristics of Prochilodus lineatus specimens from a population in Vila Velha state park (Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa, Paraná state, southern Brazil). The specimens studied showed the same karyotype as that found in other P. lineatus populations, i.e. 2n = 54 biarmed chromosomes (40m + 14 sm) and c-positive heterochromatin preferentially located pericentromerically in all chromosomes. The presence of partial or totally heterochromatic supernumerary chromosomes with numeric intra-individual variation was confirmed in the analyzed population. The nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) were interstitially situated on the long arm of chromosome pair 4 directly beneath the centromere. The differential banding techniques and FISH revealed NOR size polymorphism due to structural events such as breaks and duplication of the larger rDNA site cluster. We also observed syntenic localization of the 5S ribosomal genes in the distal segment of the 45S cluster

Isolation of a Cancer-Associated Microchromosome in the Sperm-Dependent Parthenogen <i>Poecilia formosa</i>

In the asexual all-female fish species Poecilia formosa, the Amazon molly, supernumerary chromosomes have frequently been found in both laboratory-reared and wild-caught individuals. While wild-caught individuals with B chromosomes are phenotypically indifferent from conspecifics, individuals carrying B chromosomes from recent introgression events in the laboratory show phenotypic changes. Former analyses showed that the expression of a pigment cell locus is associated with the presence of these B chromosomes. In addition, they contain a so far unidentified locus that confers a higher susceptibility to tumor formation in the presence of pigmentation pattern. Isolation by microdissection and hybridization to metaphase chromosomes revealed that they contain one or several sequences with similarity to a highly repetitive pericentromeric and subtelomeric sequence in A chromosomes. Isolation of one particular sequence by AFLP showed that the B chromosomes contain at least 1 copy of an A-chromosomal region which is highly conserved in the whole genus Poecilia, i.e. more than 5 million years old. We propose it to be a single copy sequence