Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cytogenetics of the bleak (Alburnus alburnus), with special emphasis on the B chromosomes

  • Published:
Chromosome Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Some of the largest B chromosomes so far discovered in vertebrates are present in the cyprinid fish Alburnus alburnus. Previous cytogenetic analyses revealed a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 50. In addition, in some individuals one or two unusually large B chromosomes are present. Two morphologically different types of B chromosomes were observed. The frequency of animals bearing a supernumerary chromosome was found to vary considerably between different populations. A more detailed analysis of the A and B chromosomes of A. alburnus by conventional banding techniques, as well as fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) with the telomeric DNA repeats (GGGTTA)7/(TAACCC)7, 18S + 28S rDNA and 5S rDNA were performed in the present study. Furthermore, a B chromosome-specific DNA probe obtained by amplified length polymorphism (AFLP) was hybridized on metaphases of A. alburnus carrying supernumerary B chromosomes. The banding analyses showed that the B chromosomes are completely heterochromatic, consist of GC-rich DNA sequences, replicate their DNA in the very late S-phase of the cell cycle and are composed mainly of a specific retrotransposable DNA element. Finally, blood probes from A. alburnus were collected for DNA-flow cytometric measurements. It could be shown that the huge supernumerary chromosomes represent nearly 10% of the total genome size of A. alburnus.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beukeboom LW (1994) Bewildering Bs: an impression of the 1st B-Chromosome Conference. Heredity 73: 328–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown DD, Gurdon JB (1978) Cloned single repeating units of 5S DNA direct accurate transcription of 5S RNA when injected into Xenopus oocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75: 2849–2853.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cabrero J, Alché JD, Camacho JPM (1987) Effects of B chromosomes of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans on nucleolus organiser regions activity. Activation of a latent NOR on a B chromosome fused to an autosome. Genome 29: 116–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camacho JP, Sharbel TF, Beukeboom LW (2000) B-chromosome evolution. Phil Trans R Soc Lond, B Biol Sci 355: 163–178.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fenocchio AS, Bertollo LA (1990) Supernumerary cromosome in a Rhamdia hilarii population (Pisces, Pimelodidae). Genetica 81: 193–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foresti F, Almeida-Toledo LF, Toledo FS (1989) Supernumerary chromosome system C-banding characterization and multiple nucleolus organizer regions in Moenkhausia sactafilomenae (Pisces, Characidae). Genetica 79: 107–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green DM (1990) Muller's ratchet and the evolution of supernumerary chromosomes. Genome 33: 818–824.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hafez T, Labat R, Quiller R (1978) Aneuploidie observee chez les populations de gardons (Rutilus rutilus L.) et d'ablettes (Alburnus alburnus L.) de la region Midi-Pyrenees. Bull Soc Nat Toulouse 114: 85–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hafez T, Labat R, Quiller R (1981) Recherches sur les chromosomes supernumeraires de l'ablette (Alburnus alburnus L.). Cybium 5: 81–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hellmer A, Voiculescu I, Schempp W (1991) Replication banding studies in two cyprinid fishes. Chromosoma 100: 524–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones RN (1991) B chromosome drive. Am Nat 137: 430–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langer PR, Waldrop AA, Ward DC (1981) Enzymatic synthesis of biotin-labeled polynucleotides: novel nucleic acid affinity probes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78: 6633–6637.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lichter P, Cremer T et al. (1988) Delineation of individual human chromosomes in metaphase and interphase cells by in situ suppression hybridization using recombinant DNA libraries. Hum Genet 80: 224–234.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lopez-Leon MD, Neves N et al. (1994) Possible origin of a B chromosome deduced from its DNA composition using double FISH technique. Chromosome Res 2: 87–92.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maistro EL, Foresti F, Oliveira C, Almeida-Toledo LF (1992) Occurrence of macro B chromosomes in Astyanax scabripinnis paranae (Pisces, Characiformes, Characidae). Genetica 87: 101–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martins C, Galetti PM (1999) Chromosomal localization of 5S rDNA genes in Leporinus fish (Anostomidae, Characiformes). Chromosome Res 7: 363–367.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mayr B, Rab P, Kalat M (1986) NORs and counterstain-enhanced fluorescence studies in Cyprinidae of different ploidy level. Genetica 69: 111–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McAllister BF, Werren JH (1997) Hybrid origin of a B chromosome (PSR) in the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis. Chromosoma 106: 243–253.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mestriner CA, Galetti PM et al. (2000) Structural and functional evidence that a B chromosome in the characid fish Astyanax scabripinnis is an isochromosome. Heredity 85: 1–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan GT, Macgregor HC, Colman A (1980) Multiple ribosomal gene sites revealed by in-situ hybridization of Xenopus rDNA to Triturus lampbrush chromosomes. Chromosoma 80: 309–330.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nanda I, Schartl M et al. (1995) Chromosomal evidence for laboratory synthesis of a triploid hybrid between the gynogenetic teleost Poecilia formosa and its host species. J Fish Biol 47: 619–623.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neo DM, Filho OM, Camacho JP (2000) Altitudinal variation for B chromosome frequency in the characid fish Astyanax scabripinnis. Heredity 85: 136–141.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ohno S (1967) Sex chromosomes and Sex-linked genes. Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira C, Foresti F (1993) Occurrence of supernumerary microchromosomes in Steindachnerina insculpta (Pisces, Characiformes, Curmatidae). Cytobios 76: 183–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pauls E, Bertollo LA (1983) Evidence for a system of supernumerary chromosomes in Prochilotus scrofa Steindachner, 1881 (Pisces, Prochilodontidae). Caryologia 36: 307–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pendas AM, Moran P, Freije JP, Garcia-Vazques E (1994) Chromosomal mapping and nucleotid sequence of two tandem repeats of the Atlantic salmon 5S rDNA. Cytogenet Cell Genet 67: 31–36.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Perry P, Wolff S (1974) New Giemsa method for the differential staining of sister chromatids. Nature 251: 156–158.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rab P, Roth P (1989) Chromosome studies in European leuciscine fishes (Pisces, Cyprinidae). Aneuploidy due to a B-chromosome in Rutilus rutilus. Folia Zool 38: 333–337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rab P, Roth P, Arefjev VA (1991) Chromosome studies in European leuciscine fishes (Pisces, Cyprinidae). Karyotype of Aspius aspius. Caryologia 43: 249–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salvador LB, Moreira-Filho O (1992) B chromosomes in Astyanax scabripinnis (Pisces, Characidae). Heredity 69: 50–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schartl M, Nanda I et al. (1995) Incorporation of subgenomic amounts of DNA as compensation for mutational load in a gynogenetic fish. Nature 373: 68–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid M, Guttenbach M (1988) Evolutionary diversity of reverse (R) fluorescent chromosome bands in vertebrates. Chromosoma 97: 101–114.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid M, Steinlein C (1991) Chromosome banding in Amphibia. XVI. High resolution replication banding patterns in Xenopus laevis. Chromosoma 101: 123–132.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid M, Haaf T, Geile B, Sims B (1983) Chromosome banding in Amphibia. VIII. An unusual XY/XX-sex chromosome system in Gastrotheca riobambae (Anura, Hylidae). Chromosoma 88: 69–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schmid M, Ziegler CG et al. (2002) Chromosome banding in Amphibia. XXIV. The B chromosomes of Gastrotheca espeletia. Cytogenet Genome Res 57: 205–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schweizer D (1976) Reverse fluorescent chromosome banding with chromomycin and DAPI. Chromosoma 58: 307–324.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Valcarcel A, Brunner P, Maggese MC (1993) B chromosome polymorphism in the South American catfish, Rhamdia sapo. Aquaculture 110: 111–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler CG, Lamatsch DK et al. (2003) The giant B chromosome of the cyprinid fish Alburnus alburnus harbours a retrotransposon-derived repetitive DNA sequence. Chromosome Res 11: 23–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, D-97074, Würzburg, Germany

    M. Schmid, C. G. Ziegler, C. Steinlein & I. Nanda

  2. Department of Physiological Chemistry I, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    M. Schartl

Authors
  1. M. Schmid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. G. Ziegler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C. Steinlein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. I. Nanda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. Schartl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Schmid.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schmid, M., Ziegler, C.G., Steinlein, C. et al. Cytogenetics of the bleak (Alburnus alburnus), with special emphasis on the B chromosomes. Chromosome Res 14, 231–242 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-006-1038-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-006-1038-5

Key words

Search

Navigation