New Data on Comparative Cytogenetics of the Mouse-Like Hamsters (Calomyscus Thomas, 1905) from Iran and Turkmenistan.

The taxonomy of the genus Calomyscus remains controversial. According to the latest systematics the genus includes eight species with great karyotypic variation. Here, we studied karyotypes of 14 Calomyscus individuals from different regions of Iran and Turkmenistan using a new set of chromosome painting probes from a Calomyscus sp. male (2n = 46, XY; Shahr-e-Kord-Soreshjan-Cheshme Maiak Province). We showed the retention of large syntenic blocks in karyotypes of individuals with identical chromosome numbers. The only rearrangement (fusion 2/21) differentiated Calomyscus elburzensis, Calomyscus mystax mystax, and Calomyscus sp. from Isfahan Province with 2n = 44 from karyotypes of C. bailwardi, Calomyscus sp. from Shahr-e-Kord, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari-Aloni, and Khuzestan-Izeh Provinces with 2n = 46. The individuals from Shahdad tunnel, Kerman Province with 2n = 51-52 demonstrated non-centric fissions of chromosomes 4, 5, and 6 of the 46-chromosomal form with the formation of separate small acrocentrics. A heteromorphic pair of chromosomes in a specimen with 2n = 51 resulted from a fusion of two autosomes. C-banding and chromomycin A3-DAPI staining after G-banding showed extensive heterochromatin variation between individuals

Detection of tick-borne pathogens in wild birds and their ticks in Western Siberia and high level of their mismatch

Abstract: The Tomsk region located in the south of Western Siberia is one of the most high-risk areas for tick-borne diseases due to elevated incidence of tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease in humans. Wild birds may be considered as one of the reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens and hosts for infected ticks. A high mobility of wild birds leads to unpredictable possibilities for the dissemination of tick-borne pathogens into new geographical regions. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in wild birds and ticks that feed on them as well as to determine the role of different species of birds in maintaining the tickborne infectious foci. We analysed the samples of 443 wild birds (60 species) and 378 ticks belonging to the genus Ixodes Latraille, 1795 collected from the wild birds, for detecting occurrence of eight tick-borne pathogens, the namely tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), West Nile virus (WNV), and species of Borrelia, Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Bartonella and Babesia Starcovici, 1893, using RT-PCR/or PCR and enzyme immunoassay. One or more tick-borne infection markers were detected in 43 species of birds. All markers were detected in samples collected from fieldfare Turdus pilaris Linnaeus, Blyth’s reed warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum Blyth, common redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus (Linnaeus), and common chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus. Although all pathogens have been identified in birds and ticks, we found that in the majority of cases (75.5%), there were mismatches of pathogens in birds and ticks collected from them. Wild birds and their ticks may play an extremely important role in the dissemination of tick-borne pathogens into different geographical regions

Complex Structure of Lasiopodomys mandarinus vinogradovi Sex Chromosomes, Sex Determination, and Intraspecific Autosomal Polymorphism.

The mandarin vole, Lasiopodomys mandarinus, is one of the most intriguing species among mammals with non-XX/XY sex chromosome system. It combines polymorphism in diploid chromosome numbers, variation in the morphology of autosomes, heteromorphism of X chromosomes, and several sex chromosome systems the origin of which remains unexplained. Here we elucidate the sex determination system in Lasiopodomys mandarinus vinogradovi using extensive karyotyping, crossbreeding experiments, molecular cytogenetic methods, and single chromosome DNA sequencing. Among 205 karyotyped voles, one male and three female combinations of sex chromosomes were revealed. The chromosome segregation pattern and karyomorph-related reproductive performances suggested an aberrant sex determination with almost half of the females carrying neo-X/neo-Y combination. The comparative chromosome painting strongly supported this proposition and revealed the mandarin vole sex chromosome systems originated due to at least two de novo autosomal translocations onto the ancestral X chromosome. The polymorphism in autosome 2 was not related to sex chromosome variability and was proved to result from pericentric inversions. Sequencing of microdissection derived of sex chromosomes allowed the determination of the coordinates for syntenic regions but did not reveal any Y-specific sequences. Several possible sex determination mechanisms as well as interpopulation karyological differences are discussed

Complete mitogenome of the ixodid tick Dermacentor reticulatus (Acari: Ixodida)

Here, we present the complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of Dermacentor reticulatus. The mitogenome is 14,806 bp and contains 13 protein-coding, 2 rRNA, and 22 tRNA genes, along with 2 control regions. Dermacentor reticulatus mitogenome has the common mitochondrial gene order of Metastriata ticks. It is phylogenetically close to the mitogenomes of Dermacentor ticks, of which D. everestanus mitogenome is the closest with 85.7% similarity. These data provide insights into the phylogenetic relations among Dermacentor ticks