Cytogenetic analysis of three species of Pseudacteon (Diptera, Phoridae) parasitoids of the fire ants using standard and molecular techniques

Pseudacteon flies, parasitoids of worker ants, are being intensively studied as potentially effective agents in the biological control of the invasive pest fire ant genus Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). This is the first attempt to describe the karyotype of P. curvatus Borgmeier, P. nocens Bor...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Chirino, M.G., Folgarait, P.J., Gilbert, L.E., Lanzavecchia, S., Papeschi, A.G.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2009
País:Argentina
Institución:Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales
Repositorio:Biblioteca Digital (UBA-FCEN)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:paperaa:paper_14154757_v32_n4_p740_Chirino
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_14154757_v32_n4_p740_Chirino
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:C-banding
FISH
Fluorescent banding
Karyotype evolution
Pseudacteon
DNA 18S
animal cell
animal experiment
ant
article
AT rich sequence
chromosome
chromosome analysis
chromosome C band
chromosome I
chromosome II
chromosome III
chromosome size
chromosome structure
DNA probe
fire ant
fluorescence
fly
GC rich sequence
heterochromatin
in situ hybridization
interphase
karyotype
metaphase chromosome
mitosis
nonhuman
parasitoid
Pseudacteon curvatus
Pseudacteon nocens
Pseudacteon tricuspis
sex chromosome
species difference
Borgmeier
Diptera
Formicidae
Hymenoptera
Phoridae
Pseudacteon (dipteran fly)
Solenopsis
Solenopsis geminata
Descripción
Sumario:Pseudacteon flies, parasitoids of worker ants, are being intensively studied as potentially effective agents in the biological control of the invasive pest fire ant genus Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). This is the first attempt to describe the karyotype of P. curvatus Borgmeier, P. nocens Borgmeier and P. tricuspis Borgmeier. The three species possess 2n = 6; chromosomes I and II were metacentric in the three species, but chromosome pair III was subtelocentric in P. curvatus and P. tricuspis, and telocentric in P. nocens. All three species possess a C positive band in chromosome II, lack C positive heterochromatin on chromosome I, and are mostly differentiated with respect to chromosome III. P. curvatus and P. tricuspis possess a C positive band, but at different locations, whereas this band is absent in P. nocens. Heterochromatic bands are neither AT nor GC rich as revealed by fluorescent banding. In situ hybridization with an 18S rDNA probe revealed a signal on chromosome II in a similar location to the C positive band in the three species. The apparent lack of morphologically distinct sex chromosomes is consistent with proposals of environmental sex determination in the genus. Small differences detected in chromosome length and morphology suggests that chromosomes have been highly conserved during the evolutionary radiation of Pseudacteon. Possible mechanisms of karyotype evolution in the three species are suggested. Copyright © 2009, Sociedade Brasileira de Genética.