Chromosome mapping of the large elaenia (Elaenia spectabilis): evidence for a cytogenetic signature for passeriform birds?

Abstract

Among birds, Tyrannidae comprises one of the most diverse and species‐rich families. Although cytogenetic data have shown interesting results in this family, such as variations in the macrochromosome morphology and diploid number, only a few species have had their karyotypes described. In the present study, we report the characterization of the karyotype of Elaenia spectabilis (Passeriformes, Tyrannidae) by means of classical and molecular cytogenetics. The results show that syntenic groups of Gallus gallus (GGA) were conserved, except GGA1 and GGA4, which were divided into two different pairs each. However, the results obtained with Leucopternis albicollis probes revealed the occurrence of inversions in segments homologous to GGA1q, similar to those observed in other Passerifomes (Turdus), and one inversion in GGA1p. These results suggest that the centric fission in GGA1, as well as the inversions observed in segments homologous to GGA1q, appeared in the early history of Passeriformes because they could be detected in Oscine and Suboscine species. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 115, 391–398.

Chromosome Painting in Tyrant Flycatchers Confirms a Set of Inversions Shared by Oscines and Suboscines (Aves, Passeriformes)

“…sulphuratus and S. subcristata have macrochromosomes with the same morphology, despite different diploid numbers. The analyses of classical cytogenetic data and FISH experiments show that these species retain a chromosome formula which is similar not only to other Tyrannidae, but also to other Oscines, with the first pair being submetacentric (corresponding to GGA2) and the presence of a centric fission in the ancestral pair 1, followed by a number of paracentric inversions, especially in the segment corresponding to GGA1q [Gunski et al, 2000;Kretschmer et al, 2014Kretschmer et al, , 2015dos Santos et al, 2015dos Santos et al, , 2017. Thus, the difference of diploid numbers must be due to rearrangements involving microchromosomes.…”

“…In fact, 2 different patterns of inversion have been described in oscine species, involving chromosomes homologous to GGA1q [Kretschmer et al, 2014;dos Santos et al, 2015dos Santos et al, , 2017, that probably represent a sequence of inversion events. Additionally, morphological differences due to the centromere position are visible by conventional staining, and while most macrochromosomes in Tyrannidae are biarmed [Gunski et al, 2000;Kretschmer et al, 2015], in the putative ancestral avian karyotype most of them were probably acrocentric/telocentric [Deakin and Ezaz, 2014], suggesting the occurrence of pericentric inversions during evolution.…”

Chromosome Painting in <b><i>Trogon s. surrucura</i></b> (Aves, Trogoniformes) Reveals a Karyotype Derived by Chromosomal Fissions, Fusions, and Inversions

“…Although birds are characterized by a very constant karyotype formula, the combination of different molecular cytogenetic approaches, such as FISH with whole chromosome probes, repetitive sequences, and BAC mapping, has revealed a high degree of chromosomal rearrangements that proved useful in clarifying and corroborating some phylogenetic proposals [Nanda et al, 2007;Kretschmer et al, 2014Kretschmer et al, , 2015Rodrigues et al, 2014;de Oliveira Furo et al, 2015;dos Santos et al, 2015].…”

Chromosome Painting in <b><i>Vanellus chilensis</i></b>: Detection of a Fusion Common to Clade Charadrii (Charadriiformes)

“…This is known from in silico genome studies and also from molecular cytogenetic approaches [Skinner and Griffin, 2012;Kretschmer et al, 2014Kretschmer et al, , 2015. In the latter case, whole chromosome probes of species in which macrochromosomes of Gallus gallus (GGA) are represented by multiple pairs due to chromosome fission have been a useful tool.…”