scholarly journals ON THE MECHANISM OF CHROMATIN LOSS INDUCED BY THE B CHROMOSOME OF MAIZE

Genetics ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-96
Author(s):  
M M Rhoades ◽  
Ellen Dempsey

ABSTRACT Knobbed regions of the regular maize complement frequently are eliminated at the second microspore division in spores which have two or more B chromosomes. Evidence is presented that no or little loss occurs in spores with one B and that the rate is not increased in spores with more than two B's.—The B chromosomes from an unrelated strain proved as effective in inducing loss as did the B's of the original high loss stock.—Chromatin loss induced by B's is restricted to knobbed A chromosomes and occurs only at the second microspore division. Knobbed chromosomes 3, 5, and 9 have been tested and all interact with B's to give loss. Chromosomes with large knobs are more frequently broken than are those with smaller knobs and knobless chromosomes show negligible loss.—Although knobs and B's are essential for chromatin elimination, modifying genes can markedly affect the rate of loss.——Two knobbed heterologous chromosomes undergo simultaneous loss more frequently than expected from independent events. The data indicate that joint loss occurs in competent cells and that preferential assortment of the two deficient chromosomes to specific poles is unlikely.—B chromosomes and deficient chromosomes assort independently at the second microspore anaphase.—Genetic data from crosses with marker genes in both arms of chromosome 3 show that breakage of the postulated dicentric bridge does not occur solely at the centric region since a variety of deficient chromosomes were recovered.—Nondisjunction of B chromosomes and elimination of knobbed chromatin take place during the second microspore mitosis. The argument is advanced that the two phenomena result from faulty replication of heterochromatic segments. The position of the nonreplicating segment in the two kinds of chromosomes determines whether nondisjunction or breakage takes place.—Finally, it is suggested that all of the reported effects of the B chromosome can be accounted for if the B is a parasitic entity having no genetic function other than controlling the replication of its proximal heterochromatic knob and increasing the ability of B-containing sperm cells to compete successfully for fertilization of the egg.

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahman Ebrahimzadegan ◽  
Andreas Houben ◽  
Ghader Mirzaghaderi

AbstractHere, we characterized the basic properties of repetitive sequences in essential A and supernumerary B chromosomes of Festuca pratensis Huds. This was performed by comparative analysis of low-pass Illumina sequence reads of B chromosome lacking (−B) and B chromosome containing (+B) individuals of F. pratensis. 61% of the nuclear genome is composed of repetitive sequences. 43.1% of the genome are transposons of which DNA transposons and retrotransposons made up 2.3% and 40.8%, respectively. LTR retrotransposons are the most abundant mobile elements and contribute to 40.7% of the genome and divided into Ty3-gypsy and Ty1-copia super families with 32.97% and 7.78% of the genome, respectively. Eighteen different satellite repeats were identified making up 3.9% of the genome. Five satellite repeats were used as cytological markers for chromosome identification and genome analysis in the genus Festuca. Four satellite repeats were identified on B chromosomes among which Fp-Sat48 and Fp-Sat253 were specific to the B chromosome of F. pratensis.


Genome ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 815-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatyana V. Karamysheva ◽  
Anna A. Torgasheva ◽  
Yaroslav R. Yefremov ◽  
Anton G. Bogomolov ◽  
Thomas Liehr ◽  
...  

Korean field mouse (Apodemus peninsulae) shows a wide variation in the number of B chromosomes composed of constitutive heterochromatin. For this reason, it provides a good model to study the influence of the number of centromeres and amount of heterochromatin on spatial organization of interphase nuclei. We analyzed the three-dimensional organization of fibroblast and spermatocyte nuclei of the field mice carrying a different number of B chromosomes using laser scanning microscopy and 3D fluorescence in situ hybridization. We detected a co-localization of the B chromosomes with constitutive heterochromatin of the chromosomes of the basic set. We showed a non-random distribution of B chromosomes in the spermatocyte nuclei. Unpaired B chromosomes showed a tendency to occur in the compartment formed by the unpaired part of the XY bivalent.


Genes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mladen Vujošević ◽  
Marija Rajičić ◽  
Jelena Blagojević

The study of B chromosomes (Bs) started more than a century ago, while their presence in mammals dates since 1965. As the past two decades have seen huge progress in application of molecular techniques, we decided to throw a glance on new data on Bs in mammals and to review them. We listed 85 mammals with Bs that make 1.94% of karyotypically studied species. Contrary to general view, a typical B chromosome in mammals appears both as sub- or metacentric that is the same size as small chromosomes of standard complement. Both karyotypically stable and unstable species possess Bs. The presence of Bs in certain species influences the cell division, the degree of recombination, the development, a number of quantitative characteristics, the host-parasite interactions and their behaviour. There is at least some data on molecular structure of Bs recorded in nearly a quarter of species. Nevertheless, a more detailed molecular composition of Bs presently known for six mammalian species, confirms the presence of protein coding genes, and the transcriptional activity for some of them. Therefore, the idea that Bs are inert is outdated, but the role of Bs is yet to be determined. The maintenance of Bs is obviously not the same for all species, so the current models must be adapted while bearing in mind that Bs are not inactive as it was once thought.


2013 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 1371-1377 ◽  
Author(s):  
MANOLO PENITENTE ◽  
TATIANA A. VOLTOLIN ◽  
JOSE A. SENHORINI ◽  
JEHUD BORTOLOZZI ◽  
FAUSTO FORESTI ◽  
...  

Cytogenetic studies were developed in Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes 1836), describing an interesting system of small supernumerary chromosomes. The purpose of this work is to study the frequency and morphology of B chromosomes in individuals from the parental line and the inheritance patterns of these elements in individuals obtained from controlled crosses in the species P. lineatus. The transmission rate of B chromosomes revealed a kB=0.388 for the acrocentric type, a kB=0.507 for the metacentric type and a kB=0.526 for the submetacentric type. The obtained results raise hypothesis that B-acrocentric chromosomes are involved in an extinction process in this species, while the metacentric and submetacentric supernumerary elements comprises a neutral mechanism and follows a Mendelian transmission rate.


Genome ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 908-913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Sandery ◽  
John W. Forster ◽  
Richard Blunden ◽  
R. Neil Jones

A novel family of highly repeated sequences on the B chromosome of rye (Secale cereale) has been identified. The D1100 family has not been detected on the rye A chromosomes and shows little or no homology to any previously described repeat sequence in rye. In addition, different rye species, and different B chromosomes within the same species, show significant heterogeneity in the arrangement of the D1100 sequences. An EcoRI clone of a member of the family has been obtained. These results provide direct evidence for the organisation and nature of the B-chromosome DNA in rye, and they are discussed in relation to the origin and evolution of rye B chromosomes.Key words: B chromosome, Secale cereale, repeated sequences.


1973 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. RHOADES ◽  
ELLEN DEMPSEY

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1967 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-74
Author(s):  
Lillian Y. F. Hsu ◽  
Iris Nemhauser ◽  
Hilda K. Bettmann ◽  
Edna H. Sobel

An 11-year-old boy with short stature, mental retardation, low-set ears, simian creases, unusual dermatoglyphic patterns, and bilateral dysplastic mid-phalanges of the fifth fingers was found to have mosaicism in both leukocyte and fibroblast (skin) cultures. The normal cell-line predominated and the second cell-line contained an abnormally long chromosome B. The autoradiographic studies suggest that the abnormally long chromosome may involve a No. 5 which contains a translocated on inserted segment of an unknown donor autosome. The possible mechanism for the occurrence of this abnormality is discussed. Nine other instances of abnormally long B chromosomes (with lengthened long arm due to translocation) are reviewed and compared.


Genes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 515 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Marques ◽  
Sonja Klemme ◽  
Andreas Houben

B chromosomes are supernumerary chromosomes found in addition to the normal standard chromosomes (A chromosomes). B chromosomes are well known to accumulate several distinct types of repeated DNA elements. Although the evolution of B chromosomes has been the subject of numerous studies, the mechanisms of accumulation and evolution of repetitive sequences are not fully understood. Recently, new genomic approaches have shed light on the origin and accumulation of different classes of repetitive sequences in the process of B chromosome formation and evolution. Here we discuss the impact of repetitive sequences accumulation on the evolution of plant B chromosomes.


Genes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexey Makunin ◽  
Svetlana Romanenko ◽  
Violetta Beklemisheva ◽  
Polina Perelman ◽  
Anna Druzhkova ◽  
...  

B chromosomes (Bs) represent a variable addition to the main karyotype in some lineages of animals and plants. Bs accumulate through non-Mendelian inheritance and become widespread in populations. Despite the presence of multiple genes, most Bs lack specific phenotypic effects, although their influence on host genome epigenetic status and gene expression are recorded. Previously, using sequencing of isolated Bs of ruminants and rodents, we demonstrated that Bs originate as segmental duplications of specific genomic regions, and subsequently experience pseudogenization and repeat accumulation. Here, we used a similar approach to characterize Bs of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) and the Chinese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides procyonoides Gray). We confirm the previous findings of the KIT gene on Bs of both species, but demostrate an independent origin of Bs in these species, with two reused regions. Comparison of gene ensembles in Bs of canids, ruminants, and rodents once again indicates enrichment with cell-cycle genes, development-related genes, and genes functioning in the neuron synapse. The presence of B-chromosomal copies of genes involved in cell-cycle regulation and tissue differentiation may indicate importance of these genes for B chromosome establishment.


1985 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon R McQuade

Variations in diploid chromosome number, due to the presence of B chromosomes, are found within the distribution of P. v. volans. B chromosomes vary in number between one and eight per animal, are mitotically stable in various body tissues and, unlike the Y chromosome in male P. v. volans, are not eliminated from bone marrow cells. Animals possessing B chromosomes have a distinct distribution, and it appears that a stable equilibrium between the forces of B chromosome accumulation or elimination is operating in those populations possessing these chromosomes.


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