Detection of genetically unstable loci in parthenogenic families of lizards of theLacerta genus by DNA fingerprinting

Two parthenogenic families of unisexual species of Caucasian rock lizards of genusLacerta, L. armeniaca andL. unisexualis, were analyzed by DNA fingerprinting. Inheritance of M13 minisatellite and of (GACA) _n , (GATA) _n , and (TCC) _n microsatellite loci in the first generation of the lizards was studied. M13, (GACA) _n , and (TCC) _n loci in the families ofL. armeniaca were strictly inherited, as well as M13 and (GACA) _n loci in the families ofL. unisexualis: each DNA fragment in the fingerprint patterns of progeny could be detected in the maternal pattern. However, when a (TCC)₅₀ microsatellite probe was applied in the study ofL. unisexualis families, specific DNA fragments with altered mobility were revealed in the progeny patterns, and the frequency of such events was rather high. It might be hypothesized that some of the (TCC) _n loci inL. unisexualis genome are highly mutable. Hence, the family analysis allowed us to demonstrate experimentally the presence of genetically unstable loci in genomes of parthenogenic species of vertebrates. The nature and mechanism of the instability of these loci in parthenogenesis remain obscure.