A First Generation Comparative Chromosome Map between Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus) and Humans

Abstract

The domesticated guinea pig, Cavia porcellus (Hystricomorpha, Rodentia), is an important laboratory species and a model for a number of human diseases. Nevertheless, genomic tools for this species are lacking; even its karyotype is poorly characterized. The guinea pig belongs to Hystricomorpha, a widespread and important group of rodents; so far the chromosomes of guinea pigs have not been compared with that of other hystricomorph species or with any other mammals. We generated full sets of chromosome-specific painting probes for the guinea pig by flow sorting and microdissection, and for the first time, mapped the chromosomal homologies between guinea pig and human by reciprocal chromosome painting. Our data demonstrate that the guinea pig karyotype has undergone extensive rearrangements: 78 synteny-conserved human autosomal segments were delimited in the guinea pig genome. The high rate of genome evolution in the guinea pig may explain why the HSA7/16 and HSA16/19 associations presumed ancestral for eutherians and the three syntenic associations (HSA1/10, 3/19, and 9/11) considered ancestral for rodents were not found in C. porcellus. The comparative chromosome map presented here is a starting point for further development of physical and genetic maps of the guinea pig as well as an aid for genome assembly assignment to specific chromosomes. Furthermore, the comparative mapping will allow a transfer of gene map data from other species. The probes developed here provide a genomic toolkit, which will make the guinea pig a key species to unravel the evolutionary biology of the Hystricomorph rodents.

Effects of mangosteen peel extract combined with demineralized freeze-dried bovine bone xenograft on osteocalcin, collagen 1, and osteoblast as alveolar bone regeneration in socket preservation

“…It is also suggested a resemblance between the chromosome of C. cobayas and that possessed by humans. [16]…”

Complex Structure of Lasiopodomys mandarinus vinogradovi Sex Chromosomes, Sex Determination, and Intraspecific Autosomal Polymorphism

“…For some individuals, short-term culture of bone marrow was used. For molecular cytogenetic study, metaphase chromosome spreads were prepared from primary fibroblast cultures as described previously [18,19]. The fibroblast cell lines were derived from biopsies of skin, lung, and tail tissues in the case of laboratory animals and from finger biopsy in the case of wild animals as described previously [10].…”

TRPA1 and issues relating to animal model selection for extrapolating toxicity data to humans

“…Guinea pigs may therefore be of value as an in vivo model for assessing exposure to airborne TRPA1 agonists and the potential therapeutic benefit of TRPA1 antagonists. However, according to Romanenko et al, 184 the paucity of information about the genetics of the guinea pig as an experimental animal in comparison to other models such as the rat and the mouse is a major reason for the guinea pig falling out of favour as a model species over the past 10-15 years. Indeed, until the Romanenko et al 184 article, there was no comparative analysis available between the karyotype of man and that of the guinea pig.…”

“…However, according to Romanenko et al, 184 the paucity of information about the genetics of the guinea pig as an experimental animal in comparison to other models such as the rat and the mouse is a major reason for the guinea pig falling out of favour as a model species over the past 10-15 years. Indeed, until the Romanenko et al 184 article, there was no comparative analysis available between the karyotype of man and that of the guinea pig. In consequence, rodent models such as the mouse [185][186][187][188][189][190][191] and rat 106,[192][193][194][195] and other species such as the rabbit 196,197 have featured prominently in studies on the toxicology of chlorine exposure.…”