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FISH analysis of the telomere sequences of bulldog ants (Myrmecia: Formicidae)

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Abstract

Chromosomes from several species of ants from the genus Myrmecia were hybridized with deoxyoligomer probes of either (T2AG2)7, the putative insect telomere repeat sequence, or (T2AG3)7, the vertebrate telomere repeat sequence. While both sequence hibridized over a range of stringency conditions, (T2AG2)n was clearly the predominant sequence at the termini of the Myrmecia chromosomes. No interstitial sites of either sequence were detected. The genus Myrmecia has a wide range of karyotypes, with chromosome numbers ranging from 2n=2–84. It has been hypothesized that the ancestral karyotype was 2n=4 and karyotype evolution proceeded with an increase in chromosome number. In the absence of detectable interstitial sites of telomere sequence, it is interesting to speculate on the origin of the new telomeres as the chromosome numbers increased.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Life Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 87545, Los Alamos, NM, USA

    Julianne Meyne

  2. Center for Human Genome Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 87545, Los Alamos, NM, USA

    Julianne Meyne

  3. Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama Aichi-ken, 484, Japan

    Hirohisa Hirai

  4. National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizouka-ken, 411, Japan

    Hirotami T. Imai

Authors
  1. Julianne Meyne
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  2. Hirohisa Hirai
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  3. Hirotami T. Imai
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Meyne, J., Hirai, H. & Imai, H.T. FISH analysis of the telomere sequences of bulldog ants (Myrmecia: Formicidae). Chromosoma 104, 14–18 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00352221

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00352221

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