No abstract

The study focuses on the phylogenetic origin and genetic diversity of brown trout in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It further aims to reveal the impact of human-mediated transfers and stocking with non-indigenous trout on the populations in this area. For these purposes, mtDNA control region and microsatellite variation of 204 individuals from 16 populations were analysed. The results indicate that mtDNA haplotypes from the lower Danube basin and southern Black Sea basins differ substantially from a subclade of the Danubian lineage consisting of haplotypes found so far in the most of the Danube basin and in the Caspian and Aral Sea basins. Considering also the results of demographic analyses, this study evidences a complex evolutionary history of brown trout in the southern and western parts of the Black Sea basin. In the Aegean Sea basin, a high frequency of the central haplotype of Adriatic mtDNA lineage has been found. The other Adriatic lineage haplotypes found in this basin differ from the central haplotype by one mutational step only, indicating a recent evolution of the Adriatic lineage in the Aegean Sea basin. Substantial genetic differentiation among populations and basins was revealed. The hybridization with Atlantic brown trout was indicated in both sea basins, but especially in the Danube basin. Compared to other European regions, it can be inferred that the introgression of exogenous brown trout in the eastern Balkan populations is rather low.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic ethanol intake and cigarette smoke exposure on rat kidney. The animals were divided into four experimental groups: (1) the control group (C), (2) the ethanol group (E), (3) the cigarette smoke group (CS), and (4) the cigarette smoke plus ethanol group (CS+E). Rats in E, CS and CS+E groups were treated with ethanol and/or cigarette smoke for 6 months. The animals were killed and the kidneys were removed to determine the activity of xanthine oxidase (XO), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the levels of nitric oxide (NO). Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis were performed in kidney tissues. The activity of XO/g protein were 2.8 +/- 0.3, 5.2 +/- 0.3, 3.2 +/- 0.1, and 7.4 +/- 0.7 U for C, E, CS and CS+E groups, respectively. In groups E, and CS+E, the XO values were significantly higher than in group C (P < 0.05). The increase in XO activity of CS was not significantly different from group C (P > 0.05). There was a significant increase in XO activity of group CS+E as compared to CS and E groups (P < 0.05), and also a significant difference in XO activity between E and CS was observed (P < 0.05). The activity of MPO/g protein were 13.5 +/- 0.6, 16.2 +/- 1.1, 14.7 +/- 1.1, 23.8 +/- 0.9 U for C, E, CS, and CS+E groups, respectively. While MPO activity of kidneys from group CS+E were significantly higher as compared to C, CS, and E groups (P < 0.05), there was no significant difference among the groups of C, CS, E (P > 0.05). The levels of NO/g wet tissue were 347.7 +/- 8.5, 261.1 +/- 4.8, 329.8 +/- 5.6, and 254.2 +/- 3.8 nmol for C, E, CS, and CS+E groups, respectively. In groups of E and CS+E, the NO values were significantly lower than that of group C animals (P < 0.05). Although we detected lower NO levels in the E and CS+E groups than in CS group (P < 0.05), a significant difference in NO levels between CS+E and E groups was not observed. In the histopathological analysis of the kidney slices, severe degenerations in kidney tissues of group CS, E, CS+E were observed. Generally, the histological changes in kidney of CS+E and E groups were more severe than those observed in CS alone. While we observed a strong immunoreactivity for anti-nitrotyrosine antibody in kidneys of group CS+E, examination of sections from rat kidneys in group E revealed moderate staining. On the other hand, group CS had very little immunostaining. There was no immunostaining in group C. We concluded that chronic ethanol administration and cigarette smoke exposure may cause oxidative and nitrosative stress which lead to rat kidney damage.

The karyotype and major ribosomal sites as revealed using silver staining of Anatolian leuciscine cyprinid fish Acanthobrama marmid were studied. The diploid chromosome number was invariably 2n = 50. Karyotype consisted of eight pairs of metacentric, 13 pairs of submetacentric and four pairs of subtelocentric to acrocentric chromosomes. The largest chromosome pair of the complement was subtelo-to acrocentric characteristically, which is a characteristic cytotaxonomic marker for representatives of the cyprinid lineage Leuciscinae. The nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) were detected in the telomeres of two pairs of medium sized submeta-to subtelocentric chromosomes. No heteromorphic sex chromosomes were found. The karyotype pattern of A. marmid is nearly identical to that found in most other representatives of the Eurasian leuciscine cyprinids, while the multiple NOR phenotype appears to be more derived as opposed to a uniform one, ubiquitous in this group.

Giemsa staining, C-and AgNOR-banding procedures. Diploid chromosome numbers of analyzed species were found to be the same (2n = 50) but their karyotypes formulae were different. For all species examined, the largest chromosome pair of the complements was subtelo-acrocentric. Heteromorphic sex chromosomes were not detected in any of the studied species. C-bands were found on the centromeres of several chromosomes in all studied species. NORs were detected in one pair of submetacentric chromosomes in P. burduricus, P. egridiri and P. fahrettini, and in two pairs of submetacentric chromosomes in P. battalgilae, P. evliyae and P. maeandri. Further, NOR polymorphisms were observed in some specimens of P. battalgilae, P. burduricus, P. evliyae and P. fahrettini for number, location and size. This study may contribute to other leuciscine cytogenetic studies.

The karyotype and distribution of constitutive heterochromatin and nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) of Anatolian leuciscine endemic to Lake Beysehir, Squalius anatolicus (Bogutskaya, 1997) were analyzed respectively using conventional Giemsa-staining, C-banding and Ag-impregnation. Diploid chromosome number was 2n = 50 and karyotype consisted of 7 pairs of metacentric, 13 pairs of submetacentric, 5 pairs of subtelo- to acrocentric chromosomes, NF value equaled 90. Heteromorphic elements indicating sex chromosomes were not detected. C-banding revealed clear pericentromeric constitutive heterochromatin blocks in several chromosomes. Ag-impregnation revealed the size heteromorphism of NORs that covered almost the entire short arms of the middle-sized submetacentric chromosome pair. The karyotype pattern and simple NOR phenotype of S. anatolicus are nearly identical with that found not only in Squalius species analyzed to date but also in many other representatives of the Eurasian leuciscine cyprinids, which indicates remarkable chromosome stasis in this leuciscid lineage.

No abstract

The genus Pseudophoxinus Bleeker, 1860 is found in a wide range of habitats in central Anatolia, but it is not well known from a cytogenetic aspect. In this study the first karyotypic description of the spring minnows Pseudophoxinus crassus (Ladiges, 1960) and Pseudophoxinus hittitorum Freyhof & Özulug, 2010 by means of conventional methods (Giemsa staining, C-banding, silver nitrate impregnation (Ag-NORs)) was performed. Both species are endemic and have restricted distributions in Central Anatolia. Pseudophoxinus crassus and Pseudophoxinus hittitorum have the same diploid chromosome number, 2n = 50, patterns of distribution of constitutive heterochromatin (CH), and localization of nucleolus organizer regions (NORs), but differ in their karyotypic formulae (KFs). The C-banding technique revealed clear pericentromeric blocks of CH in many chromosomes; Ag-NORs treatment revealed consistent positive signals at the end of the short arms of a submetacentric chromosome pair, likely homologous in both species. The karyotypic differences found between these species can be used for their taxonomical study.