Abstract
In this study we test the theory that the presence of the conserved vertebrate telomeric sequence (T 2AG 3) n at the centromeres of Australian marsupial 2n = 14 complements is evidence that these karyotypes are recently derived, which is contrary to the generally held view that the 2n = 14 karyotype is ancestral for Australasian and American marsupials. Here we compare the distribution of the (T 2AG 3) n sequence and constitutive heterochromatin in the presumed ancestral 2n = 14 complement and in complements with known rearrangements. We found that where there were moderate to large amounts of constitutive heterochromatin, the distribution of the (T 2AG 3) n sequence reflected its presence as a native component of satellite DNA rather than its involvement in past rearrangements. The presence of centromeric heterochromatin in all Australian 2n = 14 complements therefore suggests that centromeric sites of the (T 2AG 3) n sequence do not represent evidence for recent rearrangements.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 405-414 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Chromosome Research |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2004 |
Keywords
- fluorescence in-situ hybridization
- karyology
- Macropodidae
- marsupial
- telomere