Search

A highly debated problem in Acipenseridae taxonomy is whether Acipenser oxyrinchus (North American Atlantic sturgeon) and A. sturio (European Atlantic sturgeon) are true species: a detailed comparison of their karyotypes could provide relevant information. Here we describe for the first time the karyotype of A. oxyrinchus (2n = 121 +/- 3), and its features, among which the constitutive heterochromatin, revealed by C-banding technique, the distribution of telomeric regions, and the 5S rRNA genes, detected by FISH. The results reveal that A. oxyrinchus and A. sturio karyotypes and features are quite similar. Moreover, comparing the results obtained through hybridization by FISH with HindIII and PstI satellite DNA in these and in other sturgeon species, no hybridization signals are detected in A. sturio and A. oxyrinchus, while A. stellatus and A. gueldenstaedtii show hybridization. Thus A. sturio and A. oxyrinchus appear very similar from a cytogenetic point of view: these and molecular data repeatedly point out that A. sturio and A. oxyrinchus represent a sister clade in comparison to all other sturgeon species up to now studied.

Here, a new satellite-DNA family is isolated and characterized from wedge sole, Dicologoglossa cuneata Moreau, 1881 (Pleuronectiformes), a fish having a small genome. This satellite-DNA family of sequences was isolated by conventional cloning after digestion of genomic DNA with the DraI restriction enzyme. Repeat units are 171 bp in length with a high AT content (63%). Several runs of consecutive adenines and thymines were found, and concomitantly computer analyses revealed that these regions are prone to acquire stable sequence-directed curvature. Especially remarkable is that the DraI sequences are composed almost entirely of the repetition of up to fourteen 9-bp motifs (T/C)GTC(A/C)AAAA similar to other vertebrate centromeric satellite-DNA sequences. In fact, we demonstrate the origin of this satellite through duplication of this motif plus the addition of a stretch of cytosines. The centromeric location and the presence in this satellite-DNA sequence of not only different vertebrate motifs (CENP-B box, pJalpha) but also others such as the CDEIII motif of Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveal a possible role in centromere function. All these characteristics provide important information on the origin, function, and the evolution of the centromeric satellite DNAs in wedge sole., (Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Ribosomal DNA in sturgeon is informative when analyzed at the molecular level because it bears unique characteristics that are, to a certain extent, ancestral within vertebrates. In this paper, we examine the structure and the molecular evolution of the 5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) region in 13 sturgeon species, comparing both the 5S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and the non-transcribed spacer (NTS) sequences between the coding regions. We have found that different NTS and 5S gene variants are intermixed in the 5S rDNA arrays of the different sturgeon species and that all variants are ancestral, having been maintained over many millions of years. Using predictive models, we have found similar levels of sequence diversity in the coding regions, as well as in the non-coding region, but fixed interspecific differences are underrepresented for 5S genes. However, contrary to the expectations, we have not found fixed differences between NTS sequences when comparing many pairs of species. Specifically, when they belong to the same phylogeographic clade of the four into which the sturgeon is divided, but fixation of mutations and divergence is found between species belonging to different phylogeographic clades. Our results suggest that the evolution of the two parts of the 5S rDNA region cannot be explained exclusively as the outcome of a balance between mutational, homogenizing (i.e., gene conversion as a predominant force in sturgeon), and selective forces. Rather, they suggest that other factors (i.e., hybridization) might be superimposed over those forces and thus could to some extent be masking their effects.

This study characterizes a repetitive DNA family of sequences in sturgeon, the PstI satellite DNA. We have found a high degree of preservation for these sequences, which are present in all 13 species analyzed, including within the genera Acipenser, Huso, and Scaphirhynchus of the family Acipenseridae. This is one of the most ancient satellite DNAs found to date, because it has been estimated to be more than 100 million years old. Alternatively, to the current view that most satellite DNAs are species-specific or preserved in a few closely related species, the PstI family and other previously characterized sturgeon satellite DNA, the HindIII, represent the most fascinating exceptions to the rapid sequence change usually undergone by satellite DNAs. Here, we compare the evolutionary pattern of these two satellite DNA families, PstI and HindIII, which differ markedly in length, sequence, and nucleotide composition. We have found that, in contrast to the situation in most other living beings, a high degree of preservation, a slow sequence change rate and slowed concerted evolution, appears to be a general rule for sturgeon satellite DNAs. The possible causes for all these features are discussed in the light of the evolutionary specifics found within these ancient organisms.

In this study, we identified and characterized 160 microsatellite loci from an expressed sequence tag (EST) database generated from immune-related organs of turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus). A final set of 83 new polymorphic microsatellites were validated after the analysis of 40 individuals of Atlantic origin including both wild and farmed individuals. The allele number and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 2 to 18 and from 0.021 to 0.951, respectively. Evidences of null alleles at moderate-high frequencies were detected at six loci using population data. None of the analysed loci showed deviations from Mendelian segregation after the analysis of five full-sib families including approximately 92 individuals/family. The markers are used to consolidate the turbot genetic map, and because they are mostly EST-derived, they will be very useful for comparative genomic studies within flatfishes and with model fish species. Using an in silico approach, we detected significant homologies of microsatellite sequences with the EST databases of the flatfish species with highest genomic resources (Senegalese sole, Atlantic halibut, bastard halibut) in 31% of these turbot markers. The conservation of these microsatellites within Pleuronectiformes will pave the way for anchoring genetic maps of different species and identifying genomic regions related to productive traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]