Published December 12, 2012 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Chromosomes of Lepidochitona caprearum (Scacchi, 1836) (Polyplacophora, Acanthochitonina, Tonicellidae) provide insights into Acanthochitonina karyological evolution

  • 1. Dipartiemnto di Biologia strutturale e funzionale, Univesità di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
  • 2. Museo Zoologico, Centro Museale Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
  • 3. Universita di Napoli Federico II,, Naples, Italy

Description

We describe the karyotype, location of nucleolus-organizing regions (NORs) and heterochromatin composition and distribution in Lepidochitona caprearum (Scacchi, 1836). The examined specimens had 2n=24 chromosomes; the elements of pairs 1 – 4 were metacentric, subtelocentric those of the fifth pair, telocentric the elements of other pairs. NOR-FISH, AG-NOR- and CMA3 banding showed NORs localized on pericentromeric regions of a medium small sized, telocentric chromosome pair. After C-banding or digestions with restriction enzyme NOR associate heterochromatin only was cytologically evident, resulting CMA3 positive. The comparison with other chitons chromosome data, other than to evidence a karyotypic similarity of L. caprearum to species of suborder Acanthochitonina, allows also to infer that chromosome evolution in the suborder mainly occurred via reduction of the number of the chromosomes by centric fusions, which took place repeatedly and independently in the different lineages of Acanthochitonina.

Files

CCG_article_1771.pdf

Files (1.9 MB)

Name Size Download all
md5:9df608bba146acc9366923ecbe58d1d5
1.8 MB Preview Download
md5:eaebe0831caf67123949f068ddd2bca2
71.1 kB Preview Download

Linked records