INTRASPECIES AUTOSOMAL POLYMORPHISM AND CHROMOSOME REPLICATION IN AKODON MOLINAE (RODENTIA: CRICETIDAE)

Abstract

Cell spreads from bone marrow, spleen, testis and liver of four male and four female Akodon molinae (Rodentia:Cricetidae) were used for chromosome analysis and sex chromatin scoring. Chromosome replication at the beginning and end of the S period were analysed in bone marrow cells.In five animals (three males and two females) the diploid chromosome number was 42; the other three (1 male and 2 females) had a modal number of 43. In the former animals pairs 1,2,19,20 and the Y chromosome were easily identified morphologically. Chromosomes 1 were large and metacentric. In specimens with 43 chromosomes, pairs 2-20-XY were similar to those of animals with 42. Instead of having two number 1 homologues, these animals showed three unpaired chromosomes, one chromosome 1, one subterminal chromosome (1a) homologue of the long arm of the chromosome 1 and one submetacentric chromosome (1b) homologue of the short arm of the chromosome 1 Chromosomes 1a and 1b were considered to have arisen by a Robertsonian mechanism of centric fission of chromosome 1 plus a pericentric inversion.Studies of sex chromosome replication showed that the Y chromosome was the last to start and to end DNA synthesis in male complements. In females one X chromosome was the last to start replication. No late replicating X chromosome at the end of the S period was found. Coincidently, no sex chromatin could be detected in females.Analysis of late replication patterns in chromosomes 1, 1a and 1b, indicates that pericentric inversions can shift the replicating moment of the chromosomal regions involved in the rearrangement.