Systemic reorganization of the architechtonics of polytene chromosomes in onto- and phylogenesis of malaria mosquitoes. Structural features regional of chromosomal adhesion to the nuclear membrane

Principles of organization of chromocenter in salivary gland cells and zones of chromosome attachment to nuclear envelope in ovarian nurse cells were determined. It was shown that blocks of centromeric heterochromatin (alfa-heterochromatin) have no direct connection with nuclear envelope. Such connections are ensured by beta-heterochromatin. Homologous chromosome regions were shown to be of different morphology and nature of chromosome-membrane links in different mosquito species. A map of polytene chromosomes of ovarian nurse cells in Anopheles messeae Fall, was established. No differences were found in band quantity of these chromosomes as compared to salivary gland chromosomes.     

Species-specific localization of DNA from pericentromeric heterochromatin on polytene chromosomes in the salivary gland cells and 3D-nuclear organization nurse cells in Drosophila virilis and Drosophila kanekoi (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Microdissection of the chromocenter of D. virilis salivary gland polytene chromosomes has been carried out and the region-specific DNA library (DvirIII) has been obtained. FISH was used for DvirIII hybridization with salivary gland polytene chromosomes and ovarian nurse cells of D. virilis and D. kanekoi. Localization of DvirIII in the pericentromeric regions of chromosomes and in the telomeric region of chromosome 5 was observed in both species. Moreover, species specificity in the localization of DNA sequences of DvirIII in some chromosomal regions was detected. In order to study the three-dimensional organization of pericentromeric heterochromatin region of polytene chromosomes of ovarian nurse cells of D. virilis and D. kanekoi, 3S FISH DvirIII was performed with nurse cells of these species. As a result, species specificity in the distribution of DvirIII signals in the nuclear space was revealed. Namely, the signal was detected in the local chromocenter at one pole of the nucleus in D. virilis, while the signal from the telomeric region of chromosome 5 was detected on another pole. At the same time, DvirIII signals in D. kanekoi are localized in two separate areas in the nucleus: the first belongs to the pericentromeric region of chromosome 2 and another to pericentromeric regions of the remaining chromosomes.     

Physical mapping of the brain and ovarian aromatase genes in the Nile Tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus,by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Cytochrome P450-aromatase enzyme (CYP19), which catalyses the conversion of androgens to oestrogens, is critical in ovarian differentiation and hence in the sex differentiation pathways of non-mammalian vertebrates. As in other fish species, distinct ovarian and brain aromatase genes have been identified in the Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Here we demonstrate by in situ hybridization that the two aromatase genes of this species are present on different chromosomes and that neither are located on the sex chromosomes. Hence, the aromatase genes are not the primary sex determination genes in O. niloticus.     

Systemic reorganization of the architectonics of polytene chromosomes in the onto- and phylogenesis of malarial mosquitoes. II. Species specificity in the pattern of chromosome relations with the nuclear envelope of nutrient ovarian cells

Essential differences in the architecture of the chromosomes between the 7 species of Anopheles maculipennis complex are found. The system of chromosomes' attachment to the nuclear envelope is invariant within particular species, each of the species studied, together with homosequential A. maculipennis and A. subalpinus differing one from another. The spatial organization of nutrse ovarian cell chromosomes in experimental hybrids (A. maculipennis X A. subalpinus and A. sacharovi X A. matrinius) shows species-specificity pattern of parental species. Thus, the spatial organization of interphase nucleus is the invariant species sign, and from the author's point of view, this phenomenon is due to penetration of new type mutations--systemic mutations (according to Richard Goldschmidt), directly connected with speciation.     

Molecular and cytogenic analysis of pericentromeric heterochromatin in ovarian nurse cells of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis> subgroup species

Evolutionary rearrangements of pericentromeric heterochromatin among Drosophila melanogaster subgroup species have been investigated. A region-specific DNA library from Drosophila orena ovarian nurse cell chromocenter was obtained by the microdissection of polythene chromosomes. The probe has been localized on chromosomes of ovarian nurse cells of Drosophila melanogaster subgroup species using fluorescent hybridization in situ. Sequences homologous to the sequences of the DNA probe were detected in the chromocenter and pericentromeric regions of D. orena polythene chromosomes, in all pericentromeric regions of other species with several exceptions. There was no labeling on one of the arms of the D. simulans chromosome 2; however, these sequences were present on the telomere of D. erecta chromosome 3 and in regions adjacent to the brightly DAPI-stained heterochromatin blocks of D. yakuba, D. santomea and D. teissieri chromosomes 2 and 3. At the S₆ stage (secondary reticulate nucleus), labeled chromatin can be found mostly within a restricted territory in D. orena nucleus; no such chromatin can be detected throughout the rest of the nucleus. On the contrary, at this stage, in nuclei of other species, labeled DNA is spread diffusely.     

The interrelation of the polytene chromosomes of generative tissues in Drosophila melanogaster]

The principles of three dimensional organization of primary and secondary orders polytene chromosomes in ovarian nurse cells of Drosophila melanogaster were elucidated. Contrary to somatic tissues, no joining of chromosome arms into local chromocentre was discovered. The chromosomes are separated in the nuclear space and are attached to the nuclear envelope by the centromeric (and the XL arm--by the telomeric) sites, the arms of autosomes (especially primary polytene chromosomes) being separated in the area of attachment. Polytenized XR arm of the X chromosomes were discovered. The architecture of chromosomes discovered in ovarian nurse cells is tissue-specific and differs considerably from the organization of polytene chromosomes of somatic tissues.     

Linear and spatial organization of polytene chromosomes of the African malaria mosquito Anopheles funestus

Anopheles funestus Giles is one of the major malaria vectors in Africa, but little is known about its genetics. Lack of a cytogenetic map characterized by regions has hindered the progress of genetic research with this important species. This study developed a cytogenetic map of An. funestus using ovarian nurse cell polytene chromosomes. We demonstrate an important application with the cytogenetic map for characterizing various chromosomal inversions for specimens collected from coastal Kenya. The linear and spatial organization of An. funestus polytene chromosomes was compared with the best-studied malaria mosquito, An. gambiae Giles. Comparisons of chromosome morphology between the two species have revealed that the most extensive chromosomal rearrangement occurs in pericentromeric heterochromatin of autosomes. Differences in pericentromeric heterochromatin types correlate with nuclear organization differences between An. funestus and An. gambiae. Attachments of chromosomes to the nuclear envelope strongly depend on the presence of diffusive beta-heterochromatin. Thus, An. funestus and An. gambiae exhibit species-specific characteristics in chromosome-linear and -spatial organizations.     

Analysis of the chromocenter DNA composition in polytene chromosomes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila orena</Emphasis> ovarian nurse cells

Chromocenter DNA fragments of polytene chromosomes of Drosophila orena ovarian nurse cells were cloned from a region-specific library (Dore1) in a plasmid vector to yield 133 clones. A total of 76 clones were selected and sequenced. The total length of the sequenced fragments was 23940 bp. Analysis with several software packages revealed various repetitive sequences among the fragments of the Dore1 library, including mobile genetic elements (25 fragments homologous to various LTR retrotransposons, five fragments homologous to LINEs, three fragments homologous to Helitrons, one fragment homologous to Polinton, and one fragment homologous to the mini-me non-LTR retrotransposon), four minisatellites, a satellite (SAR_DM), the (TATATG)n simple sequence repeat, and a low-complexity T-rich repeat. Sequences homologous to protein-coding genes were also found in the Dore1 library. Various repetitive DNA sequences and gene homologs were identified as conserved sequences of pericentric heterochromatin of polytene chromosomes of ovarian nurse cells in nine species of the melanogaster species subgroup.     

A standard photomap of ovarian nurse cell chromosomes in the European malaria vector Anopheles atroparvus

Anopheles atroparvus (Diptera: Culicidae) is one of the main malaria vectors of the Maculipennis group in Europe. Cytogenetic analysis based on salivary gland chromosomes has been used in taxonomic and population genetic studies of mosquitoes from this group. However, a high‐resolution cytogenetic map that could be used in physical genome mapping in An. atroparvus is still lacking. In the present study, a high‐quality photomap of the polytene chromosomes from ovarian nurse cells of An. atroparvus was developed. Using fluorescent in situ hybridization, 10 genes from the five largest genomic supercontigs on the polytene chromosome were localized and 28% of the genome was anchored to the cytogenetic map. The study established chromosome arm homology between An. atroparvus and the major African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, suggesting a whole‐arm translocation between autosomes of these two species. The standard photomap constructed for ovarian nurse cell chromosomes of An. atroparvus will be useful for routine physical mapping. This map will assist in the development of a fine‐scale chromosome‐based genome assembly for this species and will also facilitate comparative and evolutionary genomics studies in the genus Anopheles.     

Chromosome changes in early gynecologic malignancies

Chromosome changes characteristic of fully invasive neoplasms were found in direct preparations from a noninvasive ovarian carcinoma and three carcinomas in situ of the cervix uteri, two of which showed early stromal invasion. Abnormal chromosomes present included structurally changed chromosomes 6 and an isochromosome for the long arm of chromosome 17 (in the ovarian carcinoma and one carcinoma in situ), chromosomes 1 with long arm deletions (in two carcinomas in situ) and double minute chromatin bodies (in one of two metaphases obtained from the third carcinoma in situ). A chromosome of uncertain origin with a homogeneously staining region was also present in the ovarian carcinoma.     

Analysis of the chromocenter DNA composition in polytene chromosomes of Drosophila orena ovarian nurse cells

Chromocenter DNA fragments of polytene chromosomes of Drosophila orena ovarian nurse cells were cloned from a region-specific library (Dore 1) in a plasmid vector to yield 133 clones. A total of 76 clones were selected and sequenced. The total length of the sequenced fragments was 23940 bp. Analysis with several software packages revealed various repetitive sequences among the fragments of the Dore 1 library, including mobile genetic elements (25 fragments homologous to various LTR retrotransposons, five fragments homologous to LINEs, three fragments homologous to Helitrons, one fragment homologous to Polinton, and one fragment homologous to the mini-me non-LTR retrotransposon), four minisatellites, a satellite (SAR_DM), the (TATATG)n simple sequence repeat, and a low-complexity T-rich repeat. Sequences homologous to protein-coding genes were also found in the Dore 1 library. Various repetitive DNA sequences and gene homologs were identified as conserved sequences of pericentric heterochromatin of polytene chromosomes of ovarian nurse cells in nine species of the melanogaster species subgroup.     

Loss of heterozygosity atBRCA1/2 loci in hereditary and sporadic ovarian cancers

Loss of heterozygosity atBRCA1/2 loci in breast and ovarian tumors is a suggested risk factor for germlineBRCA1/2 mutation status. We evaluated the presence of losses of selected microsatellite markers localized on chromosomes 17 and 13q in hereditary and sporadic ovarian tumors. 151 consecutive primary ovarian tumors (including 21 withBRCA1/2 mutations and 130 without the mutations) were screened for loss of heterozygosity at loci on chromosomes 17 and 13q. Losses of heterozygosity of at least one microsatellite marker localized on chromosomes 17 and 13q were revealed in 123 (81.5%) and 104 (68.9%) tumors, respectively. Losses of all informative markers on chromosomes 17 and 13 occurred in 30 (19.9%) and 31 (20.5%) tumors, respectively. There was no difference in the frequency of losses atBRCA1 intragenic markers (D17S855 and D17S1323) between BRCA1-positive and BRCA1-negative patients. The frequency of losses on chromosome 17 was higher in high-grade than in low-grade carcinomas. Loss of heterozygosity on chromosomes 17 and 13q is a frequent phenomenon in both hereditary and sporadic ovarian cancers. The frequency of losses atBRCA1 intragenic markers in the ovarian tumor tissue is not strongly related to the presence ofBRCA1 germline mutations.     

X-linked premature ovarian failure: a complex disease

Involvement of the X chromosome in premature ovarian failure was demonstrated by the relatively frequent chromosomal rearrangements in patients, but the requirement of two X chromosomes for ovarian function was quite unexplained until recently. Review of the data on chromosomal rearrangements suggests that several genes along the X chromosomes contribute to ovarian function. In most instances, no single X chromosome gene has a causative role in premature ovarian failure, and the phenotype is likely to derive from the additive effect of X-linked and non-X-linked factors. Recent data on a small group of balanced X-autosome translocations showed that X-linked premature ovarian failure might also be caused by a different mechanism, namely position effect of the X chromosome on non-X-linked genes, and suggest a peculiar organization of the X chromosome during oogenesis.     

A comparative chromosome study of twenty killifish species of the genus Fundulus (Teleostei: Cyprinodontidae)

Female karyotypes from ovarian cell cultures of 20 species of killifish (Fundulus) ranged in diploid number from 32 to 48, but in arm number (NF) from 48 to 52. The small F chromosomes, which constituted the fundamental elements in the karyotype, were evenly graded in length. The large biarmed chromosomes (L), which were about twice the length of the average Fs, characterized only those species with 2N less than 48 chromosomes. And among these species, an increase in complement by a pair of L's was always accompanied by a decrease of two pairs of A's, indicating Robertsonian changes by the centric fusion of two A's to form one L chromosome. Other diagnostic chromosome characters included: the number and structure of biarmed and satellited F chromosomes and the percentage of F's with relatively short short-arms (SSA). Besides centric fusion, mechanisms of chromosomal evolution in Fundulus probably included pericentric inversion, producing biarmed F chromosomes from acrocentric F's and partial loss of a chromosome segment producing smaller biarmed F chromosomes from larger ones. The percentage of SSA chromosomes generally decreases from relatively primitive to specialized species. The presumably most primitive species have only SSA type acrocentric F chromosomes. The 20 Fundulus species were classified into 2 major groups according to the percentage of SSA chromosomes: the SSA group, including 3 subgroups, had more than 50% SSA's; the LSA group, including 2 subgroups, had fewer than 50% SSA's. This classification based only on karyotypic characters generally agreed with others based on gross morphological characters. A possible evolutionary scheme is proposed to account for the derived killifish karyotypes.     

The C-banded karyotypes of the four British species of Notonecta L. (Heteroptera: Notonectidae)

Chromosome preparations were made from mid-gut and ovarian cells of adult Notonecta glauca L., N. obliqua Thunberg, N. maculata F. and N. viridis Delcourt, using the acetic acid dissociation, air-drying method (Crozier 1968) with Giemsa staining. C-banding was obtained by treatment with barium hydroxide and salt-sodium citrate (2xSSC). The karyotypes of the first three species are very similar, with 11 pairs of autosomes plus XY sex chromosomes (plus sometimes a small 12th autosome pair in N. glauca), and the sequence of chromosome sizes very similar. However, the four longest pairs of autosomes, and the X chromosomes, have characteristic C-band patterns, which differ between the species. The karyotype of N. viridis is more distinct, with one pair of long autosomes, while the remaining chromosomes are much shorter. The long autosomes have distinct C-bands, but these are present in only one of the shorter pairs, as faint terminal bands. In warm conditions the long autosomes of N. viridis appear rod-like, but in cold conditions they have one end heavily condensed, giving a tadpole-like appearance.     

Chromosomal polymorphism in patients with ovarian hypofunction of central origin

Comparative data are reported on chromosome polymorphism in adolescent patients with ovarian hypofunction of central origin and healthy women. Chromosome variants with small and very small heterochromatin blocks were found to prevail in the adolescent patients. The incidence of pericentric inversions in chromosomes 1 and 9 was found to be significantly increased in the girls with ovarian hypofunction.     

Homologous banding patterns in the polytene chromosomes from the larval salivary glands and ovarian nurse cells of Anopheles stephensi liston (Culicidae)

A comparison of the banding patterns of two homologous polytene chromosome arms from the larval salivary gland and ovarian nurse cell complement of Anopheles stephensi is presented. The homologous chromosomes from the somatic larval salivary glands and germ-line derived ovarian nurse cells have essentially the same band-interband organisation. An analysis of the ³H-uridine labelling patterns of a small chromosome segment from the two tissues indicates that germ-line polytene chromosomes are not radically different from somatic polytene chromosomes in their patterns of gene expression.     

Chromosomal organization of Drosophila tumours

In otu mutants of Drosophila melanogaster ovarian tumours develop because of the high mitotic activity of the mutant cystocytes; the latter are normally endopolyploid. In certain alleles of otu, however, a varying proportion of the mutant ovarian cystocytes undergo polyteny. Mutant cystocytes with polytene chromosomes are termed pseudonurse cells (PNC). Polytene chromosome morphology and banding patterns in PNC of otu ¹/otu³ flies were cytologically analysed. Extensive variability was noted in the quality of the banding pattern of the PNC chromosomes which ranged from highly condensed (condensed PNC chromosomes) to those with a banding pattern (banded PNC chromosomes) similar to that in larval salivary gland cells (SGC). Both the condensed and banded PNC chromosomes frequently enter into a diffuse state characterised by weakened synapsis of the polytene chromatids and alterations in their banding pattern (diffuse PNC chromosomes). Analysis of DNA synthesis patterns in the various morphological forms of PNC polytene chromosomes by ³H-thymidine autoradiography revealed a basic similarity to the pattern seen in polytene nuclei of larval SGC. Independently replicating sites, however, could be unambiguously identified only in banded PNC chromosomes. Comparison of late replicating sites in such PNC chromosomes with those of larval SGC showed a remarkable similarity in the two cell types. These results suggest a close correlation between the polytene chromosome banding pattern and its replicative organization.     

用基因芯片筛选高转移卵巢癌细胞系转移相关基因

用标准化的Affymetrix公司生产U133A基因芯片技术研究高(H)转移卵巢癌细胞株(HO-8910PM)和正常卵巢上皮(C)基因表达谱差异,筛选与卵巢癌转移相关的基因及其在染色体的定位和功能。结果发现高转移卵巢癌细胞株和正常卵巢上皮比较表达差异8倍以上共有1,237个基因,其中表达上调(信号比的对数值SLR≥3)有597个,表达下调(SLR≤-3)有640个。从表达差异的基因在染色体定位分析,发现除1个基因未知其定位外,其余所有差异表达基因散在分布在各条染色体上,但以1号染色体最多,有115个(9.3%)。其次是2号染色体有94个(7.6%),第三是12号染色体有88个(7.1%)。第四是11号染色体有76个(6.1%)。第五是X染色体有71个(5.7%)。第6是17号染色体有69个(5.6%)。而差异表达的基因发生在染色体短臂(q)上有805个(占65.1%),在13,14,15,21和22号仅发现在q上有差异表达基因。从表达差异的基因分子功能分类看,属于酶和酶调控子基因最多(306个,占24.7%),其次是核酸结合基因(144个,占11.6%)。第三类是信号传导基因(137个,占11.1%)。第四类是蛋白结合基因(116个,占9.4%)。以上4大类共占基因总数56.8%。还有功能未知的基因有207个,占16.7%。结论:高转移卵巢癌细胞株差异表达基因散在分布在各条染色体上,但以1、2、12、11、17和X染色体差异表达基因居多,肿瘤的转移是多基因共同作用的结果。4大类(酶和酶调控子活性、核酸结合活性、信号传导活性、蛋白结合活性)差异表达基因是我们今后研究卵巢癌转移相关的重要基因。