Pattern of X-Y chromosome pairing in the Taiwan vole, Microtus kikuchii.
Pairing of X and Y chromosomes at meiotic prophase and the G- and C-banding patterns and nucleolar organizer region (NOR) distribution were analyzed in Microtus kikuchii. M. kikuchii is closely related to M. oeconomus and M. montebelli, karyologically and systematically. The formation of a synaptonemal complex between the X and Y chromosomes at pachytene and end-to-end association at diakinesis--metaphase I are only observed in three species in the genus Microtus; M. kikuchii, M. oeconomus, and M. montebelli. All the other species that have been studied so far have had asynaptic X-Y chromosomes. These data confirm that M. kikuchii, M. oeconomus, and M. montebelli are very closely related, and support the separation of asynaptic and synaptic groups on the phylogenetic tree.
Laboratory of Animal Management, Graduate School of Bio-Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Japan.
K
K
Mekada
M
M
Harada
L K
LK
Lin
K
K
Koyasu
P M
PM
Borodin
S I
SI
Oda
D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000235:genetics*; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D007621:Karyotyping; D008297:Male; D014960:X Chromosome; D014998:Y Chromosome