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XY1Y2 chromosome system in Salinomys delicatus (Rodentia, Cricetidae)

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Abstract

Salinomys delicatus is considered a rare species due to its restricted and patchy distribution, poor records and low abundances. It is also the phyllotine with the lowest known diploid chromosome number (2n = 18), however its sex chromosome system has never been described. Here, we studied the chromosomes of six females and three males with bands G, C, DAPI/CMA3 and meiosis. In males, the chromosome number was 2n = 19, with one large metacentric X-chromosome and two medium-sized acrocentrics absent in females. The karyotype of females was the same as previously described (2n = 18, FN = 32), with X-chromosomes being metacentric and the largest elements of the complement. In males, the two acrocentrics and the large metacentric form a trivalent in meiotic prophase. This indicates that S. delicatus has XY1Y2 sex chromosomes, which is confirmed by G and DAPI bands. Constitutive heterochromatin (CH) is restricted to small pericentromeric blocks in all chromosomes. The X-chromosome shows the largest block of centromeric CH, which could favor the establishment of this X-autosome translocation. This sex chromosome system is rare in mammals and, compared with other phyllotine rodents, S. delicatus seems to have undergone a major chromosome restructuring during its karyotypic evolution.

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Acknowledgments

Our thanks to JM Ferro for his technical assistance and to Maria Eugenia Periago and Nelly Horak for their assistance with the English version. We thank Dr. Ricardo Ojeda for his continuous support and encouragement of our research, and two anonymous referees for their critical reviews of the manuscript. Financed by Rufford Small Grants (to Dr. D. Rodríguez), PIP5944 CONICET and PICT 25778 FONCyT (to Dr. R. A. Ojeda), PICTO 37035 FONCyT (to Dr. D. A. Martí), PIP198 CONICET (to Dr. C. Lanzone). The authors acknowledge the continuous support of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad, IADIZA, CONICET, CCT-Mendoza, CC 507, CP5500, Mendoza, Argentina

    C. Lanzone, D. Rodríguez, P. Cuello, S. Albanese, A. Ojeda & V. Chillo

  2. Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional de Misiones, CONICET, Félix de Azara 1552, CP3300, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina

    C. Lanzone & D. A. Martí

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  1. C. Lanzone
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  2. D. Rodríguez
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  3. P. Cuello
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  4. S. Albanese
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  5. A. Ojeda
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  6. V. Chillo
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  7. D. A. Martí
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Correspondence to C. Lanzone.

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Lanzone, C., Rodríguez, D., Cuello, P. et al. XY1Y2 chromosome system in Salinomys delicatus (Rodentia, Cricetidae). Genetica 139, 1143–1147 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-011-9616-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-011-9616-7

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