TY - JOUR
T1 - Evolutionary insights of the zw sex chromosomes in snakes
T2 - A new chapter added by the amazonian puffing snakes of the genus spilotes
AU - Viana, Patrik F.
AU - Ezaz, Tariq
AU - Cioffi, Marcelo De Bello
AU - Almeida, Breno Jackson
AU - Feldberg, Eliana
PY - 2019/4
Y1 - 2019/4
N2 - Amazonian puffing snakes (Spilotes; Colubridae) are snakes widely distributed in the Neotropical region. However, chromosomal data are scarce in this group and, when available, are only limited to karyotype description using conventional staining. In this paper, we focused on the process of karyotype evolution and trends for sex chromosomes in two Amazonian Puffer Snakes (S. pulllatus and S. sulphureus). We performed an extensive karyotype characterization using conventional and molecular cytogenetic approaches. The karyotype of S. sulphureus (presented here for the first time) exhibits a 2n = 36, similar to that previously described in S. pullatus. Both species have highly differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes, where the W chromosome is highly heterochromatic in S. pullatus but euchromatic in S. sulphureus. Both W chromosomes are homologous between these species as revealed by cross-species comparative genomic hybridization, even with heterogeneous distributions of several repetitive sequences across their genomes, including on the Z and on the W chromosomes. Our study provides evidence that W chromosomes in these two species have shared ancestry.
AB - Amazonian puffing snakes (Spilotes; Colubridae) are snakes widely distributed in the Neotropical region. However, chromosomal data are scarce in this group and, when available, are only limited to karyotype description using conventional staining. In this paper, we focused on the process of karyotype evolution and trends for sex chromosomes in two Amazonian Puffer Snakes (S. pulllatus and S. sulphureus). We performed an extensive karyotype characterization using conventional and molecular cytogenetic approaches. The karyotype of S. sulphureus (presented here for the first time) exhibits a 2n = 36, similar to that previously described in S. pullatus. Both species have highly differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes, where the W chromosome is highly heterochromatic in S. pullatus but euchromatic in S. sulphureus. Both W chromosomes are homologous between these species as revealed by cross-species comparative genomic hybridization, even with heterogeneous distributions of several repetitive sequences across their genomes, including on the Z and on the W chromosomes. Our study provides evidence that W chromosomes in these two species have shared ancestry.
KW - Advanced snakes
KW - Amazonian snakes
KW - CGH
KW - Heterochromatin
KW - Repeat accumulation
KW - Sex chromosomes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068392974&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/evolutionary-insights-zw-sex-chromosomes-snakes-new-chapter-added-amazonian-puffing-snakes-genus-spi
U2 - 10.3390/genes10040288
DO - 10.3390/genes10040288
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85068392974
VL - 10
SP - 1
EP - 16
JO - Genes
JF - Genes
SN - 2073-4425
IS - 4
M1 - 288
ER -