Evolução da diferenciação cromossômica entre os sexos no Gênero Gymnotus (Gymnotiformes, Gymnotidae )

Abstract

The order Gymnotiformes ranges the electrical fish. It’s distributed by South and Central America. Family Gymnotidae show two genus; Gymnotus and Eletrophurus, the last one was recently included in this family. Genus Gymnotus is the most widespread and show 33 species and present great number of cytogenetics studies. Our objectives in the present study were analyse the meiotic behaviour of multiple sexual chromosomes system X1X1X2X2/X1X2Y of G. pantanal, isolate sequences of repetitive DNA from three species of Gymnotus; G. sylvius, G. paraguensis and G. pantanal, inhabiting in simpatry at Piquiri River - PR – BR, verify the association of these sequences with sexual chromosomes and mapping the rDNA 5S gene at G. paraguensis and G. pantanal. Meiotic analysis of G. pantanal presented one trivalent in pachytene of profase I formed by X1, X2 and Y chromosomes, totally paired characterizing a recent sexual chromosomes system. In the metaphase II was visualized cells 18+Y and 18+X1X2 chromosomes with normal disjunction of sexual chromosomes and balanced gametes. The mapping of repetitive DNA sequences, isolated by Cot1, presented location in centromeric and Nucleor Organization Regions (NORs) of all analyzed species, included the sexual chromosomes of G. pantanal, standard similar of heterocromatin obtained by C banding. Hybridization with rDNA 5S probes presented a standard unique for all species analyzed. Our data suggest a recent origin for sex chromosomes of G. pantanal and a differentiate evolutionary dynamic for the distribution of rDNA 5S in the karyotype of species analyzed, suggesting that character can be broadly utilized among the Gyminotidae as cytotaxonomic marker.