Abstract
Two different types of Nucleolar Organiser Regions (NORs) and associated nucleoli, which differ in morphology and the meiotic behaviour of their silver precipitates, have been found in all species of the genus Pycnogaster. The so-called primary nucleoli are present in all cells from each analysed individual, while secondary nucleoli are only present in some individuals and, within these, are not found in all the analysed cells. The chromosomal location of both types of NORs is highly conserved in this genus although the most frequently active secondary NOR is not necessarily the same in all the analysed populations or species. Distribution of secondary nucleoli among cells within each individual and among individuals from each population suggests that secondary NORs are activated according to an ordered hierarchy or nucleolar dominance. The existence of nucleolus-like structures during interkinesis-II and early round spermatids could indicate that NOR reactivation takes place at these stages. This NOR reactivation must depend on the secondary NORs, at least in the indivudals from the neo XY race of the species P. cucullata where half of the cells from meiosis-I on lack the neo X chromosome which carries the single primary NOR in this race.
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Sentis, C., Santos, J. & Fernandez-Piqueras, J. Primary and secondary nucleolar organiser regions during spermatogenesis in the genus Pycnogaster. Heredity 60, 197–204 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1988.32
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1988.32