Abstract
The stingless bee Partamona helleri in southeast Brazil shows the regular chromosome number 2n = 34 and a variable number of up to four minute B1 or B2 chromosomes. Previous cytogenetic analyses have indicated morphological similarities between the B1 chromosome and chromosome segments in the regular karyotype. In this study, microdissection and chromosome painting were employed along with C banding, NOR banding, and base-specific fluorochrome staining to investigate the origin of the B1 chromosome in P. helleri. B1-generated probe hybridized exclusively to B1 chromosomes. This result suggests an independent origin from the regular karyotype or, alternatively, that the B chromosome may have suffered substantial genetic alterations along its independent evolution. The absence of higher dosages of these small B chromosomes in this population of P. helleri may be related to the existence of either a genetic or cytogenetic constraint in the establishment of such high numbered karyotypes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beukeboom, L.W. (1994) Bewildering Bs: An impression of the 1st B chromosome conference. Heredity 73, 328-336
Brito, R.M., Costa, M.A., Pompolo, S.G. (1997) Characterization and distribution of supernumerary chromosomes in 23 colonies of Partamona helleri (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae). Brazil. J. Genet. 20, 185-188
Brito, R.M., Pompolo, S.G., Magalhães, M.F.M., Barros, E.G., Hojo, E.T.S. (2005) Cytogenetic characterization of two Partamona species (Hymenoptera, Apinae, Meliponini) by fluorochrome staining and localization of 18 S rDNA clusters by FISH. Cytologia 70, 373-380
Camacho, J.P.M., Sharbel, T.F., Beukeboom, L.W. (2000) B chromosome evolution. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 355, 163-178
Camargo, J.M.F., Pedro, S.R.M. (2003) Meliponini neotropicais: O gênero Partamona Schwarz, 1939 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) - bionomia e biogeografia. Rev. Bras. Entomol 47, 311-372
Costa, M.A., Pompolo, S.G., Campos, L.A.O. (1992) Supernumerary chromosomes in Partamona cupira (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae). Rev. Bras. Genet. 15, 801-806
Diniz, D., Laudicina, A., Cioffi, M.B., Bertollo, L.A.C. (2008) Microdissection and whole chromosome painting. Improving sex chromosome analysis in Triportheus (Teleostei, Characiformes). Cytogenet. Genome Res. 122, 163-168
Duarte, O. M.P., Martins, C.C.C., Waldschmidt, A.M., Costa, M.A. (2009) Occurrence of multiple nucleolus organizer regions and intraspecific karyotype variation in Scaptotrigona xanthotricha Moure ( Hymenoptera , Meliponini ). Genet. Mol. Res. 8, 831-839
Eichler, E.E., Sankoff, D. (2003) Structural dynamics of eukaryotic chromosome evolution. Science 301, 793-797
Fernandes, A., Scudeler, P.E.S., Diniz, D., Foresti, F., Campos, L.A.O., Lopes, D.M. (2011) Microdissection: a tool for bee chromosome studies. Apidologie 42, 743-748
Henning, F., Trifonov. V., Ferguson-Smith, M.A., Almeida-Toledo, L.F. (2008) Non-homologous sex chromosomes in two species of the genus Eigenmannia (Teleostei: Gymnotiformes). Cytogenet. Genome Res. 121, 55-58
Hewitt, G.M. (1979) Grasshoppers and crickets. In: Animal Cytogenetics. Insecta 1 Orthoptera. Edited by John, B. 1–170. Berlin-Stuttgart: Gebrüder Borntraeger
Howell, W.M., Black, D.A. (1980) Controlled silver-staining of nucleolus organizer regions with a protective colloidal developer: a 1-step method. Experientia 36, 1014-1015
Imai, H.T. (1991) Mutability of constitutive heterochromatin (C-bands) during eukaryotic chromosomal evolution and their cytological meaning. Jpn. J. Genet. 66, 635-661
Imai, H.T., Taylor, R.W., Crosland, M.W., Crozier, R.H. (1988) Modes of spontaneous chromosomal mutation and karyotype evolution in ants with reference to the minimum interaction hypothesis. Jpn. J. Genet. 63, 159-185
Jones, R.N., Rees, H. (1982) B Chromosomes London: Academic Press
Kavalco, K.F., Pazza, R. (2004) A rapid alternative technique for obtaining silver-positive patterns in chromosomes. Genet. Mol. Biol. 27, 196-198
Leach, C.R., Houben, A., Field, B., Pistrick, K., Demidov, D.,Timmis, J.N. (2005) Molecular evidence for transcription of genes on a B chromosome in Crepis capillaris. Genetics 171, 269-78
Marthe, J.B., Pompolo, S.G., Campos, L.A.O., Salomão, T.M.F., Tavares, M.G. (2010) Cytogenetic characterization of Partamona cupira (Hymenoptera, Apidae) by fluorochromes. Genet. Mol. Biol. 33, 253-255
Martins, C.C.C., Duarte, O.M.P., Waldschmidt, A.M., Alves, R.M.O., Costa, M.A. (2009) New occurrence of B chromosomes in Partamona helleri (Friese, 1900) (Hymenoptera, Meliponini). Genet. Mol. Biol. 32, 782-785
Pinkel, D., Straume, T., Gray, J.W. (1986) Cytogenetic analysis using quantitative, high-sensitivity, fluorescence hybridization. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83, 2934-2938
Pompolo, S.G., Takahashi, C.S. (1990) Chromosome numbers and C-banding in two wasp species of the genus Polistes (Hymenoptera Polistine, Polistini). Insectes Soc. 37, 251-257
Rocha, S.T., Charalambous, M., Lin, S.P., Gutteridge, I., Ito, Y., Gray, D., Dean, W., Ferguson-Smith, A.C. (2009) Gene dosage effects of the imprinted delta-Like homologue 1 (Dlk1/Pref1) in development: implications for the evolution of imprinting. Plos Genetics 5, e1000392
Schweizer, D. (1980) Simultaneous fluorescent staining of R bands and specific heterochromatic regions (DA-DAPI bands) in Human chromosomes. Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 27, 190-193
Silva, D.S., Milhomem, S.S.R., Pieczarka, J.C., Nagamachi, C.Y. (2009) Cytogenetic studies in Eigenmannia virescens (Sternopygidae, Gymnotiformes) and new inferences on the origin of sex chromosomes in the Eigenmannia genus. BMC Genetics 10, 74
Sumner, A.T. (1972) A simple technique for demonstrating centromeric heterochromatin. Exp. Cell Res. 75, 304-306
Telenius, H., Carter, N.P., Bebb, C.E., Nordenskjold, M., Ponder, B.A., Tunnacliffe, J. (1992) Degenerate Oligonucleotide-Primed PCR: general amplification of target DNA by a single degenerate primer. Genomics 8, 718-725
Tosta, V.C., Fernandes-Salomão, T.M., Tavares, M.G., Pompolo, S.G., Barros, E.G., Campos, L.A.O. (2004) A RAPD marker associated with B chromosomes in Partamona helleri (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Cytogenet. Genome Res. 106, 279-283
Voltolin, T.A., Laudicina, A., Senhorini, J.A., Bortolozzi, J., Oliveira, C., Foresti, F., Porto-Foresti, F. (2010) Origin and molecular organization of supernumerary chromosomes of Prochilodus lineatus (Characiformes, Prochilodontidae) obtained by DNA probes. Genetica 138, 11-12
Weier, H.U.G. (2001) DNA Fiber Mapping Techniques for the Assembly of High-resolution Physical Maps. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 49, 939-948
Acknowledgments
We thank Dr. Silvia RM Pedro for the specimens’ identification. This study was supported by CAPES (Coordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Manuscript editor: Marina Meixner
Recherche de l’origine du chromosome B de Partamona helleri (Apidae, Meliponini) : une approche par microdissection et par peinture du chromosome entier
Hymenoptera / abeille sans aiguillon / sonde chromosome B
Untersuchungen zum Ursprung der B Chromosomen bei Partamona helleri (Apidae, Meliponini) mithilfe von Microdissection und Chromosome Painting.
Hymenoptera / B Chromosomen-Sonde / stachellose Bienen
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Martins, C.C.C., Diniz, D., Sobrinho-Scudeler, P.E. et al. Investigation of Partamona helleri (Apidae, Meliponini) B chromosome origin. An approach by microdissection and whole chromosome painting. Apidologie 44, 75–81 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0157-6
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0157-6