PMID- 32630506
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20210312
LR  - 20210312
IS  - 2073-4425 (Electronic)
IS  - 2073-4425 (Linking)
VI  - 11
IP  - 6
DP  - 2020 Jun 25
TI  - Molecular Cytogenetic Characterization of the Sicilian Endemic Pond Turtle Emys 
      trinacris and the Yellow-Bellied Slider Trachemys scripta scripta (Testudines, 
      Emydidae).
LID - 10.3390/genes11060702 [doi]
LID - 702
AB  - Turtles, a speciose group consisting of more than 300 species, demonstrate 
      karyotypes with diploid chromosome numbers ranging from 2n = 26 to 2n = 68. 
      However, cytogenetic analyses have been conducted only to 1/3rd of the turtle 
      species, often limited to conventional staining methods. In order to expand our 
      knowledge of the karyotype evolution in turtles, we examined the topology of the 
      (TTAGGG)(n) telomeric repeats and the rDNA loci by fluorescence in situ 
      hybridization (FISH) on the karyotypes of two emydids: the Sicilian pond turtle, 
      Emys trinacris, and the yellow-bellied slider, Trachemys scripta scripta (family 
      Emydidae). Furthermore, AT-rich and GC-rich chromosome regions were detected by 
      DAPI and CMA(3) stains, respectively. The cytogenetic analysis revealed that 
      telomeric sequences are restricted to the terminal ends of all chromosomes and 
      the rDNA loci are localized in one pair of microchromosomes in both species. The 
      karyotype of the Sicilian endemic E. trinacris with diploid number 2n = 50, 
      consisting of 13 pairs of macrochromosomes and 12 pairs of microchromosomes, is 
      presented here for first time. Our comparative examination revealed similar 
      cytogenetic features in Emys trinacris and the closely related E. orbicularis, as 
      well as to other previously studied emydid species, demonstrating a low rate of 
      karyotype evolution, as chromosomal rearrangements are rather infrequent in this 
      group of turtles.
FAU - Scardino, Rita
AU  - Scardino R
AD  - Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies 
      (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy.
FAU - Mazzoleni, Sofia
AU  - Mazzoleni S
AD  - Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12844 Prague, 
      Czech Republic.
FAU - Rovatsos, Michail
AU  - Rovatsos M
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-8429-5680
AD  - Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 12844 Prague, 
      Czech Republic.
FAU - Vecchioni, Luca
AU  - Vecchioni L
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-4325-9728
AD  - Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies 
      (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy.
FAU - Dumas, Francesca
AU  - Dumas F
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-7570-7578
AD  - Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies 
      (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20200625
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Genes (Basel)
JT  - Genes
JID - 101551097
RN  - 0 (DNA, Ribosomal)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Cytogenetics/methods
MH  - DNA, Ribosomal/*genetics
MH  - *Evolution, Molecular
MH  - Female
MH  - In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence/methods
MH  - *Karyotype
MH  - Telomere/genetics
MH  - Turtles/*genetics
PMC - PMC7348936
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Emys trinacris
OT  - FISH
OT  - Trachemys scripta scripta
OT  - karyotype
OT  - rDNA
OT  - telomeric sequences
COIS- The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the 
      design of the study; the collection, analyses, or interpretation of the data; the 
      writing of the manuscript or the decision to publish the results.
EDAT- 2020/07/08 06:00
MHDA- 2021/03/13 06:00
PMCR- 2020/06/01
CRDT- 2020/07/08 06:00
PHST- 2020/05/29 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2020/06/23 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2020/06/23 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2020/07/08 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2020/07/08 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2021/03/13 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2020/06/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - genes11060702 [pii]
AID - genes-11-00702 [pii]
AID - 10.3390/genes11060702 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Genes (Basel). 2020 Jun 25;11(6):702. doi: 10.3390/genes11060702.