title: Heterochromatin of the scarab beetle, Bubas bison (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) II. Evidence for AT-rich compartmentalization and a high amount of rDNA copies.
abstract: An unexpected result arising from a previous characterization of the scarab beetle Bubas bison (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) heterochromatin was its unusual homogeneous reaction to different staining methods. In particular, silver stainability of heterochromatic ends of all chromosomes prevented identification of the number of rDNA transcriptionally active regions. Data formerly obtained using silver impregnation (Ag-NOR), C- G- and DAPI banding are here improved and completed by application of CMA(3) staining and rDNA FISH with the aim to investigate heterochromatin base composition and locate rDNA regions with respect to NOR-associated heterochromatin. Our results show that B. bison has a high amount of heterochromatin (almost 50%) and that--as revealed by rDNA FISH--major rRNA genes are spread over the heterochromatic telomeric regions of eight chromosomes, thus suggesting that only a portion, although consistent, of total heterochromatin is associated with ribosomal clusters. Moreover, DAPI-positive (AT-specific) and CMA(3)-negative (GC-specific) reactions of heterochromatic DNA confirm its AT-rich composition. Finally, possible explanations for the bright DAPI-fluorescence of both heterochromatin and rDNA sequences are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ecologia e Biologia Ambientale, Università di Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy. m.colomba@uniurb.it
authors.forename: Mariastella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colomba
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vitturi
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Libertini
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gregorini
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zunino
mesh_terms: D020856:AT Rich Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000235:genetics*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005260:Female; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000235:genetics*; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007621:Karyotyping; D008297:Male; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D006570:Heterochromatin; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S