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Chromosome variability and evolution in rodents of the tribe Abrotrichini (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae)

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Abstract

Rodents are a very diverse group with large chromosome variability. One of the most species rich linage in the Neotropics is the Sigmodontinae. Among them, the tribe Abrotrichini was recently defined and its taxonomy and phylogeny were mostly elucidated through molecular and morphological evidence. Meanwhile, chromosome data were only secondarily used because of fragmentary information. In this contribution, we conduct a chromosome characterization of Abrothrix hirta, A. olivacea, A. andina, and Paynomys macronyx, review the cytogenetic background of the tribe, and contrast it with molecular data. Chromosomes were analyzed by conventional and differential techniques. All Abrothrix species presented 2n = 52/FNa = 56, with a high similarity in the banding patterns reflecting a conserved karyotype, which does not coincide with its high molecular variability. In turn, P. macronyx have 2n = 54/FNa = 58–59, varying due to a heteromorphic pair of autosomes. In addition, in this last species, different morphologies of the X chromosome and the presence of B chromosomes were detected. Heterochromatin was involved in these variants. The telomeric probe in P. macronyx marks terminal regions of all chromosomes. B chromosomes generated strong telomeric signals. The Ag-NORs banding revealed the same patterns in Abrothrix and Paynomys. Cytogenetic data support phylogenetic relationships previously proposed and suggest that the specious genus Abrothrix could have retained the ancestral karyotype of the subfamily. In the tribe, the relatively conserved chromosome complement contrasts with its high molecular variability. This indicates decoupling between the rates of chromosomal and molecular divergence, as observed in other rodent lineages. In abrotrichines, chromosome evolution was slower.

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Acknowledgments

Our thanks to Benjamín Bender for his assistance with the material deposited in the Mammal Collection of the Instituto Argentino de Zonas Aridas (CMI), IADIZA-CONICET, Mendoza.

Funding

This research has been partially funded by PIP-CONICET 1122015 0100258 CO: RAO, PT, CL; PICT 2016-0537: PT, CL, as well as by PIP No 0182, CONICET, RI: ADB and funds from the CICPBA and UNLP of Argentina.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales, IBS, UNaM–CONICET, Félix de Azara 1552, (3300), Posadas, Misiones, Argentina

    F.A. Da Rosa, C.A. Labaroni, L.M. Buschiazzo & C. Lanzone

  2. Grupo de Investigaciones de la Biodiversidad, IADIZA, CCT CONICET Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina

    A.A. Ojeda & R.A. Ojeda

  3. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical (IBN) CONICET-UNT, Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina

    A. Novillo

  4. División Mastozoología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    P. Teta

  5. Laboratorio de Citogenética y Mutagénesis, IMBICE (CONICET-CICPBA-UNLP) , La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    E.N. Cálcena & A.D. Bolzán

  6. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    E.N. Cálcena

  7. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    A.D. Bolzán

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  1. F.A. Da Rosa
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  2. A.A. Ojeda
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  3. A. Novillo
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  4. C.A. Labaroni
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  5. L.M. Buschiazzo
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  6. P. Teta
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  8. A.D. Bolzán
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  9. R.A. Ojeda
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  10. C. Lanzone
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Correspondence to C. Lanzone.

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Supplementary Fig 1:

Map showing the sampling localities of the abrotrichines analyzed with chromosome techniques in this work: 1- Barreal, San Juan; 2- Las Heras, Mendoza; 3- Tunuyán, Mendoza; 4-San Carlos, Mendoza; 5- Malargüe, Mendoza; 6- San Rafael, Mendoza. (JPG 2242 kb)

Supplementary Table 1:

Species, collection number, sex and chromosome constitution of the specimens analyzed in this work. For Paynomys macronyx the different morphology of the X chromosome, the presences of the heteromorphic pair and the number of B chromosomes per cell per individual, are indicated. (XLSX 13 kb)

Supplementary Table 2:

Chromosome data in the tribe Abrothichini. In grey are chromosome complements that could not be confirmed. The species name were in accordance with the revision done by Teta et al. (2016) (XLSX 12 kb)

Supplementary Table 3:

K2P genetic distances of different DNA regions (Cyt-b; FBG; IRBP; ADH) of abrotrichines obtained from GenBank sequences. The minimum and maximum of intrageneric comparisons within Abrothrix (Abrotrichina sensu Teta et al. 2016), intergeneric comparisons within Notiomyina, and inter subtribe genetic distances (between samples from Abrotrichina and Notiomyina) are showed. (XLSX 31 kb)

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Da Rosa, F., Ojeda, A., Novillo, A. et al. Chromosome variability and evolution in rodents of the tribe Abrotrichini (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae). Mamm Res 65, 59–67 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-019-00463-0

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