Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Possible autosomal origin of macro B chromosomes in two grasshopper species

  • Published:
Chromosome Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The acrocentric macro B chromosomes of Rhammatocerus brasiliensis (Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) and Xyleus discoideus angulatus (Romaleidae, Romaleinae) are highly similar to the X chromosome in each species in terms of morphology, size, and pycnosis. However, the results of FISH experiments using 45S and 5S rDNA probes suggest that in both species the B chromosomes are most likely of autosomal origin. In R. brasiliensis, the B chromosome presented 5S rDNA but not 45S rDNA, in resemblance to the L2, L3, M5 and S11 autosomes, but the X chromosome lacks both rDNA families. In X. d. angulatus, 45S rDNAs is absent from the B chromosome, whereas the X chromosome contains one of the two 45S rDNA clusters in the genome. The occurrence of B chromosomes in all nine R. brasiliensis populations analyzed indicates that they are widely distributed in Northeastern Brazil, and the small amount of interpopulation variation found for B chromosome prevalence suggests the existence of high gene flow, presumably due to the abundance of this grasshopper species on several types of vegetation and its relatively high flight capability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bidau CJ (1984) Meiotic pairing and chiasma localization in Scyllina signatipennis (Gomphocerinae, Acrididae). Caryologia 37: 87–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bidau CJ, Rosato M, Martí DA (2004) FISH detection of ribosomal cistrons and assortment-distortion for X and B chromosomes in Dichroplus pratensis (Acrididae). Cytogenet Genome Res 106: 295–301.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cabrero J, Camacho JPM (1987) Population cytogenetics of Chorthippus vagans II. Reduced meiotic transmission but increased fertilization by males possessing a supernumerary chromosome. Genome 29: 285–291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabrero J, López-León MD, Bakkali M, Camacho JPM (1999) Common origin of B chromosome variants in the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans. Heredity 83: 435–439.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cabrero J, Perfectti F, Gómez R, Camacho JPM, López-León MD (2003a) Population variation in the A chromosome distribution of satellite DNA and ribosomal DNA in the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans. Chromosome Res 11: 375–381.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cabrero J, Bakkali M, Bugrov A, et al. (2003b) Multiregional origin of B chromosomes in the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans. Chromosoma 112: 207–211.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Camacho JPM (2005) B chromosomes. In: Gregory TR, ed. The Evolution of the Genome, San Diego: Elsevier, pp. 223–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camacho JPM, Sharbel TE, Beukeboom LW (2000) B-chromosome evolution. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B 355: 163–178.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carbonell CS (1995) Revision of the tribe Scyllinini, Nov. (Acrididae: Gomphocerinae), with descriptions of new genera and species. Trans Am Entomol Soc 121: 87–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro AJ, Perfectti F, Pardo MC, Cabrero J, López-León MD, Camacho JPM (1998) No harmful effects of a selfish B chromosome on several morphological and physiological traits in Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera, Acrididae). Heredity 80: 753–759.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colombo PC, Remis MI (1997) On the origin of B-chromosomes: neo XY systems and X-like supernumeraries in Orthoptera. Caryologia 50: 151–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher A, Hewitt G, Gibson I (1973) Differential giemsa staining of heterochromatic B-chromosomes in Myrmeleotettix maculatus (Thunb.) (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Chromosoma 40: 167–172.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gosálvez J, López-Fernández C (1981) Extra heterochromatin in natural populations of Gomphocerus sibiricus (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Genetica 56: 197–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt GM (1973) The integration of supernumerary chromosomes into the orthopteran genome. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 38: 183–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt GM (1979) Orthoptera. Animal cytogenetics 3. Insecta 1. Berlin-Stuttgart: Borntraeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • John B, Hewitt GM (1965) The B-chromosome system of Myrmeleotettix maculatus (Thunb.). I. The mechanics. Chromosoma 16: 548–578.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones RN, Puertas MJ (1993) The B chromosomes of rye (Secale cereale L.). In: Dhir KK, Sareen TS, eds. Frontiers in Plant Science Research, Delhi: Bhagwati Enterprises, pp. 81–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones RN, Rees H (1982) B chromosomes. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • López-Fernández C, Gosálvez J (1983) The chromosome system in three species of the genus Arcyptera II. Unstable B-chromosomes in A. fusca (Pall.). Genetica 62: 41–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • López-León MD, Neves N, Schwarzacher T, Heslop-Harrison JS, Hewitt GM, Camacho JPM (1994) Possible origin of a B chromosome deduced from its DNA composition using double FISH technique. Chromosome Res 2: 87–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • López-León MD, Cabrero J, Camacho JPM (1995) Changes in DNA methylation during development in the B chromosome NOR of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans. Heredity 74: 296–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAllister BF, Werren JH (1997) Hybrid origin of a B chromosome (PSR) in the parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis. Chromosoma 106: 243–253.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Remis MI (1989) Effects of supernumerary heterochromatin on chiasma conditions in two species of Acrididae (Orthoptera). Genetica 79: 53–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santos JL, del Cerro AL, Fernández A, Díez M (1993) Meiotic behaviour of B chromosomes in the grasshopper Omocestus burri: a case of drive in females. Hereditas 118: 139–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schartl M, Nanda I, Schlupp I, et al. (1995) Incorporation of subgenomic amounts of DNA as compensation for mutational load in a gynogenetic fish. Nature 373: 68–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schweizer D, Mendelak M, White MJD, Contreras N (1983) Cytogenetics of the parthenogenetic grasshopper Warramaba virgo and its bisexual relatives. X. Pattern of fluorescent banding. Chromosoma 88: 227–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Souza MJ, Kido LMH (1995) Variability of constitutive heterochromatin in karyotypes of representatives of the family Romaleidae (Orthoptera). Rev Brasil Genet 18: 517–520.

    Google Scholar 

  • Souza MJ, Rufas JS, Orelana J (1998) Constitutive heterochromatin, NOR location and FISH in the grasshopper Xyleus angulatus (Romaleidae). Caryologia 51: 73–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sumner AT (1972) A simple technique for demonstrating centromeric heterochromatin. Exp Cell Res 75: 304–306.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vilardi JC (1986a) Isocromosomas B e irregularidades meióticas en dos especies de Euplectrotettix (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Mendeliana 7: 125–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vilardi JC (1986b) Parallel polymorphism for interstitial C-bands and B-chromosomes in Zoniopoda tarsata (Orthoptera-Romaleidae). Caryologia 39: 365–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Viseras E, Camacho JPM (1985) The B chromosome system of Omocestus bolivari: changes in B-behaviour in M4-polysomic B-males. Heredity 54: 385–390.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidade Acadêmica de Garanhuns, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Vilma Loreto

  2. Departamento de Genética, CCB, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego s/n, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50732–970, Brazil

    Vilma Loreto & Maria José Souza

  3. Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain

    Josefa Cabrero, Maria Dolores López-León & Juan Pedro M. Camacho

Authors
  1. Vilma Loreto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Josefa Cabrero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Maria Dolores López-León
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Juan Pedro M. Camacho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Maria José Souza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vilma Loreto.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Loreto, V., Cabrero, J., López-León, M.D. et al. Possible autosomal origin of macro B chromosomes in two grasshopper species. Chromosome Res 16, 233–241 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-007-1188-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-007-1188-0

Key words

Search

Navigation