Comparative physical maps derived from BAC end sequences of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Background: The Nile tilapia is the second most important fish in aquaculture. It is an excellent laboratory model, and is closely related to the African lake cichlids famous for their rapid rates of speciation. A suite of genomic resources has been developed for this species, including genetic maps and ESTs. Here we analyze BAC endsequences to develop comparative physical maps, and estimate the number of genome rearrangements, between tilapia and other model fish species. Results: We obtained sequence from one or both ends of 106,259 tilapia BACs. BLAST analysis against the genome assemblies of stickleback, medaka and pufferfish allowed identification of homologies for approximately 25,000 BACs for each species. We calculate that rearrangement breakpoints between tilapia and these species occur about every 3 Mb across the genome. Analysis of 35,000 clones previously assembled into contigs by restriction fingerprints allowed identification of longer-range syntenies. Conclusions: Our data suggest that chromosomal evolution in recent teleosts is dominated by alternate loss of gene duplicates, and by intra-chromosomal rearrangements (~one per million years). These physical maps are a useful resource for comparative positional cloning of traits in cichlid fishes. The paired BAC end sequences from these clones will be an important resource for scaffolding forthcoming shotgun sequence assemblies of the tilapia genome. (Résumé d'auteur

Cytogenetic variation of repetitive DNA elements in Hoplias malabaricus (Characiformes - Erythrinidae) from white, black and clear water rivers of the Amazon basin

Abstract Hoplias malabaricus is a common fish species occurring in white, black and clear water rivers of the Amazon basin. Its large distribution across distinct aquatic environments can pose stressful conditions for dispersal and creates possibilities for the emergence of local adaptive profiles. We investigated the chromosomal localization of repetitive DNA markers (constitutive heterochromatin, rDNA and the transposable element REX-3) in populations from the Amazonas river (white water), the Negro river (black water) and the Tapajós river (clear water), in order to address the variation/association of cytogenomic features and environmental conditions. We found a conserved karyotypic macrostructure with a diploid number of 40 chromosomes (20 metacentrics + 20 submetacentrics) in all the samples. Heteromorphism in pair 14 was detected as evidence for the initial differentiation of an XX/XY system. Minor differences detected in the amount of repetitive DNA markers are interpreted as possible signatures of local adaptations to distinct aquatic environments

Chromosome evolution in fishes: a new challenging proposal from Neotropical species

We present a database containing cytogenetic data of Neotropical actinopterygian fishes from Venezuela obtained in a single laboratory for the first time. The results of this study include 103 species belonging to 74 genera assigned to 45 families and 17 out of the 40 teleost orders. In the group of marine fishes, the modal diploid number was 2n=48 represented in 60% of the studied species, while in the freshwater fish group the modal diploid complement was 2n=54, represented in 21.21 % of the studied species. The average number of chromosomes and the mean FN were statistically higher in freshwater fish than in marine fish. The degree of diversification and karyotype variation was also higher in freshwater fish in contrast to a more conserved cytogenetic pattern in marine fish. In contrast to the assumption according to which 48 acrocentric chromosomes was basal chromosome number in fish, data here presented show that there is an obvious trend towards the reduction of the diploid number of chromosomes from values near 2n=60 with high number of biarmed chromosomes in more basal species to 2n=48 acrocentric elements in more derived Actinopterygi

Cytogenetic diversity of notothenioid fish from the Ross sea: historical overview and updates

Cytogenetics provides a unique platform to study in situ structural, functional, and evolutionary aspects of the genome. As such it holds powerful promise in decoding mechanisms and processes of genome architectural changes and their role in organism\u2019s diversification and evolution. Since the early 80s, such an approach has been applied to the study of the Antarctic notothenioid fishes. In almost three decades, the cytogenetic information has expanded to cover half of the known species inhabiting the high Antarctic waters. Although started 10 years later, cytogenetic studies of species from the Ross sea region have provided valuable contributions to this bulk of knowledge. Here, we synthesize the currently available cytogenetic information on Antarctic notothenioid fishes from the Ross Sea Region, inclusive of both conventional karyotyping and gene mapping. In addition, new karyotypic data on four species (Lepidonotothen squamifrons, Trematomus scotti, T. loennbergii, and T. lepidorhinus) are provided. In discussing these data, specific focus is made on the patterns and subtleties of cytogenetic diversity at inter- and intra-specific levels aiming at contributing to the refinement of the knowledge of fish diversity in a region, the Ross Sea area, whose primary ecological value is widely recognized

New nuclear markers and exploration of the relationships among Serraniformes (Acanthomorpha, Teleostei): The importance of working at multiple scales

International audienceWe explore the relationships within Serraniformes (Li et al., 2009) using a dense taxon sampling and seven nuclear markers. Six had already used been for teleost phylogeny (IRBP, MC1R, MLL4, Pkd1, Rhodopsin, and RNF213) at other scales, and one (MLL2) is new. The results corroborate the composition of Serraniformes described in previous publications (some Gasterosteiformes, Perciformes and Scorpaeniformes). Within the clade, Notothenioidei and Zoarcoidei are each monophyletic. Cottoidei was not monophyletic due to placement of the genus Ebinania (Psychrolutidae). Our independent data confirm the sister-group relationship of Percophidae and Notothenioidei as well as the division of Platycephaloidei in four different groups (Bembridae, Platycephalidae, Hoplichthyidae and Peristediidae with Triglidae). Within Cottoidei, Liparidae and Cyclopteridae formed a clade associated with Cottidae, the genus Cottunculus (Psychrolutidae), and Agonidae. Serranidae and Scorpaenidae are not monophyletic, with the Serranidae divided in two clades (Serraninae and Epinephelinae/Anthiinae) and Scorpaenidae including Caracanthidae and the genus Ebinania (Psychrolutidae). We discuss some morphological characters supporting clades within the Scorpaenidae

Multiple independent chromosomal fusions accompanied the radiation of the Antarctic teleost genus Trematomus (Notothenioidei:Nototheniidae)

International audienceBackground: Chromosomal rearrangements are thought to be an important driving force underlying lineage diversification, but their link to speciation continues to be debated. Antarctic teleost fish of the family Nototheniidae (Notothenioidei) diversified in a changing environmental context, which led to ecological, morphological, and genetic differentiation among populations. In addition, extensive chromosomal repatterning accompanied species divergence in several clades. The most striking karyotypic changes involved the recent species radiation (about 10 My) of the genus Trematomus, with chromosomal pair numbers ranging between 29 and 12. These dramatic reductions in chromosome number resulted mostly from large-scale chromosome fusions. Multiple centric and/or tandem fusions have been hypothesized in at least seven of the twelve recognized Trematomus species. To reconstruct their evolutionary history, we employed comparative cytogenomics (BAC-FISH and chromosome painting) to reveal patterns of interspecific chromosomal orthologies across several notothenioid clades.Results: We defined orthologous chromosomal segments of reference, termed Structural Units (SUs). SUs were identified in a total of 18 notothenioid species. We demonstrated for the first time that SUs were strongly conserved across every specimen examined, with chromosomal syntenies highlighting a paucity of intrachromosomal macro-rearrangements. Multiple independent fusions of these SUs were inferred in the Trematomus species, in contrast to the shared SU fusions in species of the sister lineage Notothenia.Conclusions: The SU segments were defined units of chromosomal rearrangement in the entire family Nototheiidae, which diverged from the other notothenioid families 20 My ago. Some of the identified chromosomal syntenies within the SUs were even conserved in their closest relatives, the family Eleginopsidae. Comparing the timing of acquisition of the fusions in the closely related genera Notothenia and Trematomus of the nototheniid species family, we conclude that they exhibit distinct chromosomal evolutionary histories, which may be relevant to different speciation scenarios

Karyotype and chromosome location of characteristic tandem repeats in the pufferfish <i>Tetraodon nigroviridis</i>

International audienceKaryotype analysis of Tetraodon nigroviridis, a pufferfish of the family Tetraodontidae with a small compact genome (385 Mb) which is currently being investigated in our laboratory, indicates that this species has 2n = 42 chromosomes. The small chromosome size (the largest pair measuring less than 3 μm) has complicated accurate chromosome pairing based on morphology alone. DAPI staining, however, provides a banding-like pattern. Because of quantitative variations of some heterochromatin classes, the chromosome formula can not be established precisely, but is estimated to include approximately 20 meta- or submetacentric chromosomes and 22 subtelocentric chromosomes. A centromeric satellite, telomeric repeats, and the major and minor rRNA clusters have been localized unequivocally by FISH. As a result, the 28S and 5S rDNA sequences can be used as chromosome-specific probes