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Neo-sex chromosome diversity in Neotropical melanopline grasshoppers (Melanoplinae, Acrididae)

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Abstract

We report the results of a study on the neo-sex chromosome systems of six Neotropical Melanoplinae species for contributing to a better understanding of their origin and behaviour of these systems. Our analyses included detailed descriptions of the structure and behaviour of the sex chromosome configurations in male and female meiosis of species belonging to the genera Ronderosia, Dichromatos and Atrachelacris. Three species, R. forcipatus, R. malloi and A. unicolor, showed typical Robertsonian fusion-derived neo sex-chromosomes. However, the male metaphase I orientation of R. bergi sex pair indicated that more than one rearrangement was involved in its origin. The two species of Dichromatos presented a multiple neo-X1X2Y/X1X1X2X2 sex system, with two Robertsonian fusions involved in their genesis. Observations of female meiosis, confirmed the nature of the sex-chromosomes analyzed. Our results also showed different degrees of homology divergence between the neo-sex chromosomes and emphasize the plasticity of the chromosome complement of the Neotropical Melanoplinae to establish Robertsonian fusions and generate novel sex-chromosome systems. We also discuss karyotypic diversity within this group in terms of the centromeric drive theory of chromosomal evolution.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to María Marta Cigliano for introducing us to the fascinating world of Ronderosia and allies. We also wish to especially acknowledge Prof. Pavel Borodin (Novosibirsk, Russia) for his critical reading of a previous version of the manuscript. This research was partially supported by FONCyT PICTO 37035 BID 1728/OC-AR to DAM. DAM acknowledges the continuous support of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Misiones. ERC is PhD candidate at Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas) and is very grateful to all people in our laboratory and to CEDIT for postgraduate scholarship. CJB acknowledges the support of CNPq (grant 480596/2007-7), FAPERJ (grant APQ1 3225/2007) and IOC/FIOCRUZ, all institutions from Brazil.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Elio R. D. Castillo & Dardo A. Martí

  2. Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Av. Brasil 4365, Pav. Arthur Neiva, sala 14, Manguinhos, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Claudio J. Bidau

  3. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Dardo A. Martí

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  1. Elio R. D. Castillo
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  2. Claudio J. Bidau
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  3. Dardo A. Martí
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Correspondence to Elio R. D. Castillo.

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Dedicated in fond memory of Prof. Alejo Mesa, pioneer in the study of Neotropical chromosomal diversity of grasshoppers.

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Castillo, E.R.D., Bidau, C.J. & Martí, D.A. Neo-sex chromosome diversity in Neotropical melanopline grasshoppers (Melanoplinae, Acrididae). Genetica 138, 775–786 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-010-9458-8

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