Qualitative analysis of constitutive heterochromatin and primate evolution

Abstract

The results of qualitative heterochromatin analysis in 16 species of primates: Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes and Gorilla gorilla (F. Hominidae), Hylobates syndactilus (F. Hylobatidae), Macaca fascicularis, M. tibetana, Mandrillus sphinx, M. leucophaeus, Cercopithecus aethiops, C. sabaeus and C. albogularis (F. Cercopithecidae), Cebus apella, Ateles belzebuth hybridus, Aotus azarae, Saimiri sciureus and Lagothrix lagothricha (F. Cebidae) are presented in this work. We characterized heterochromatin using: (a) in situ digestion with restriction enzymes AluI, HaeIII, RsaI and Sau3A, and (b) chromosome staining with DA/DAPI on unbanded chromosomes, on C‐banded chromosomes and on sequentially G‐C‐banded chromosomes. The aim of this work was to relate the qualitative characteristics of constitutive heterochromatin observed with the cytogenetic evolutive processes in the primate group. Results obtained show that (1) in the family Cercopithecidae, Papionini species do not present chromosomal rearrangements when their karyotypes are compared and the heterochromatin characteristics are uniform, while Cercopithecini species show a high number of chromosomal reorganizations, but they have the same heterochromatic characteristics; (2) the Platyrrhini species analysed show variability in their karyological and heterochromatic characteristics; (3) the Hominoidea present two different situations: Pan, Gorilla and Homo with few chromosomal reorganizations among their karyotypes but with a high variability in their heterochromatin characteristics, and Hylobates with low heterochromatin variability and a highly derived karyotype. Speciation processes related to chromosome changes and heterochromatin variations in different groups of primates are discussed. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2003, 80, 107–124.

New polymorphisms in a Cebus (Platyrrhini, Primates) species. The case of Cebus nigrivittatus

“…(c) Pair number 4 with a paracentric inversion in one chromosome observed in a female C. nigrivittatus. the constitutive heterochromatin regions, as has previously been described in the species of the same genus: C. apella (Seuá nez et al, 1986;Freitas and Seuá nez, 1982;Matayoshi et al, 1987;Ponsà et al, 1995;García et al, 2003) and C. capucinus (Dutrillaux et al, 1978;Garcia et al, 1983;Carlà and Stanyon, 1992). In C. apella, previous reports have detected size variation of non-centromeric heterochromatin regions in chromosomes 4, 6, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 (Matayoshi et al, 1987;Ponsà et al, 1995).…”

“…In this context, some primate species have been widely analysed, but in other published studies are scarce, as is the case of Cebus genus (Family Cebidae, Primates). In this group, C. apella (CAP) and C. capucinus (CCA) have been widely studied (Dutrillaux et al, 1978;Garcia et al, 1983;Matayoshi et al, 1987;Mudry, 1990;Ponsà et al, 1995;García et al, 2000García et al, , 2003, whereas no data on heterochromatin polymorphisms have been published for C. nigrivittatus or Cebus albifrons.…”

A molecular cytogenetic study of chromosome evolution in chimpanzee

“…Moreover, the homogenous uniformly stained terminal heterochromatin gave hints of a common emergence at the same time which was also observed by Garcia et al (1999Garcia et al ( , 2003.…”

“…de Grouchy, 1987) or small molecular cytogenetic investigations on chimpanzee heterochromatin exist (e.g. Garcia et al, 1999Garcia et al, , 2003Hirai, 2001).…”

<i>Cebus paraguayanus and Cebus nigritus</i> (Primates, Platyrrhini): A Comparative Genomic Hybridization Analysis

“…Among them, the genus Cebus (Cebidae) has been extensively studied since the first banded karyotype was described [Torres de Caballero et al, 1976]. Meanwhile the number of species and subspecies is still controversial, the diploid number is described between 52 and 54 chromosomes in populations from different geographic regions with chromosomal diversity [García et al, 1976;Matayoshi et al, 1987;Mudry, 1990;Ferrucci et al, 1995;García et al, 2003]. Recently, a FISH study using human painting probes allowed defining the rearrangements that occurred during the karyotypical differentiation of the genus.…”