Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-172).

Dissertation (Ph.D.).--University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at San Antonio, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Case Western Reserve University, 2005. / [School of Medicine] Department of Genetics. Includes bibliographical references. Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2005. / Not embargoed Vita. Bibliography: 24-25.

Orientadores: Shirlei Maria Recco Pimentel, Luciana Bolsoni Lourenço / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T06:02:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vittorazzi_StenioEder_D.pdf: 3469046 bytes, checksum: 548f412477dbed97bd45f19e26cea793 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Os genomas dos eucariotos são ricos em sequências repetitivas, as quais compreendem sequências dispersas e em tandem. Entre as sequências em tandem, incluem-se os DNA satélites, os DNA ribossomais e cópias parálogas. Os DNA satélites são os principais constituintes da heterocromatina constitutiva e os genes ribossomais transcrevem os RNAr para compor os ribossomos, que dividem-se em duas famílias, DNAr 45S e 5S. Em um mesmo organismo, diferentes tipos de DNAr 5S já foram reconhecidos, mostrando a existência de uma diversidade quanto a esse tipo de sequência. No anuro Physalaemus cuvieri, uma forma de DNA satélite denominada PcP190 foi caracterizada e teve sua origem atribuída a uma derivação do DNAr 5S em uma espécie ancestral. Em diferentes populações de P. cuvieri estudadas previamente com as ferramentas da citogenética convencional, uma acentuada variação interpopulacional nos cromossomos portadores da NOR pôde ser observada, e nas demais espécies do grupo de P. cuvieri, peculiaridades interespecíficas foram evidenciadas, porém, os cariótipos entre essas espécies são muito semelhantes. O objetivo nessa tese foi ampliar o estudo citogenético de espécies do grupo de P. cuvieri que possuíam carência na descrição cromossômica, como P. kroyeri e P. cicada. Objetivou-se também analisar o DNA satélite PcP190 em nível cromossômico e molecular, assim como estudar a organização molecular e a diversidade de sequências do DNAr 5S no genoma das espécies de Physalaemus e espécies de gêneros relacionados. Com os resultados da pesquisa, três capítulos são apresentados, sendo eles: (i) "Long-time evolution and highly dynamic satellite DNA in leptodactylid and hylodid frogs", o qual mostra que o DNA satélite PcP190 é amplamente conservado e pode ser reconhecido em representantes de duas famílias de anuros, Leptodactylidae e Hylodidae; além disso, mostra também que essas sequências são altamente dinâmicas nos cromossomos das espécies do grupo de P. cuvieri. (ii) "Diversidade do DNAr 5S em Leiuperinae (Anura)", os resultados mostram que no genoma desses anuros existe uma diversidade dessa classe de família multigênica maior do que proposto até então, e que essas sequências do DNAr 5S permanecem conservadas desde a divergência evolutiva entre os Actinopterigio e Sarcopterigio. (iii) "Cariótipo e mapeamento de DNA repetitivo em Physalaemus kroyeri e P. cicada (Anura Leptodactylidae)", onde é apresentado que a banda 5p de P. kroyeri tem se mostrado um bom marcador cromossômico para as espécies do grupo de P. cuvieri, o que indica se tratar de uma sinapomorfia cromossômica. Contrariamente, a ausência dessa banda 5p em P. cicada não fornece evidência para a inclusão de P. cicada no grupo de P. cuvieri ou em qualquer outro grupo de espécies / Abstract: The genomes of eukaryotic organisms are rich in repetitive DNA sequences, which can be dispersed or arrayed in tandem. The tandem repeat sequences include the satellite DNA, the ribosomal DNA, and paralogous copies. Satellite DNA is the main component of constitutive heterochromatin, while the ribosomal genes encode the rRNAs that make up the ribosomes; they are divided into two families, the 45S and 5S rRNA. Different types of 5S rDNA have been identified in a single organism, proving that there is diversity in this type of DNA sequence. In the anuran Physalaemus cuvieri, a satellite DNA family called PcP190 has been identified, which is thought to have derived from the 5S rDNA of an ancestor species. In different populations of P. cuvieri that were previously studied with conventional cytogenetic tools, an accentuated interpopulational variation among chromosomes harboring the NOR was observed, while in other species of the P. cuvieri group, interspecific traits were found. However, the karyotypes in these species are very similar. The aim of this thesis was to expand the cytogenetic studies on P. cuvieri species that needed further chromosomal description, such as P. kroyeri and P. cicada. Another objective was to analyze the PcP190 satellite DNA at the chromosomal and molecular level, as well as to study the molecular organization and the diversity of 5S rDNA sequences in the genomes of the Physalaemus species and other species of related genera. We present three chapters as a result of this research: (i) "Long-time evolution and highly dynamic satellite DNA in frogs," which demonstrates that the PcP190 satellite DNA is widely conserved and was recognized in representatives of two anurans families, Leptodactylidae and Hylodidae. Moreover, it also demonstrates that these sequences are highly dynamic within the chromosomes of the P. cuvieri species group. (ii) "5S rDNA in Leiuperinae (Anura): new insights on its evolution." The results show that in the genomes of these anurans there is wider diversity among this multigenic family than previously assumed and that these 5S rDNA sequences have remained conserved since the evolutionary divergence of Actinopterygii and Sarcopterygii. (iii) "Karyotype and repetitive DNA mapping of the Physalaemus kroyeri and P. cicada (Anura Leptodactylidae)," which demonstrates that the 5p chromosomal band of P. kroyeri is a good chromosomal marker for species from the P. cuvieri group, indicating that it is a chromosomal synapomorphy. Conversely, the absence of this 5p band in P. cicada does not provide evidence for the inclusion of this species in the P. cuvieri group or any other species group / Doutorado / Biologia Celular / Doutor em Biologia Celular e Estrutural

Orientador: Shirlei Maria Recco Pimentel / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T05:02:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rodrigues_MariaMadalena_M.pdf: 15685623 bytes, checksum: a3cc5c24e8796d48cea2c0c1a4e9d253 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Os anuros dos gêneros Osteocephalus e Trachycephalus pertencem à subfamília Hylinae e os estudos revelam variações morfológicas para os espécimes desses gêneros, sugerindo a existência de espécies não descritas no grupo e dificultando sua taxonomia. Embora existam vários estudos envolvendo a família Hylidae, análises citogenéticas que envolvam os gêneros Osteocephalus e Trachycephalus são escassas. No presente trabalho foram analisados 43 espécimes das espécies Osteocephalus taurinus, Osteocephalus cf. taurinus, Osteocephalus sp. (aff. taurinus), O. oophagus, Osteocephalus sp., T. typhonius e Trachycephalus sp., de diversas localidades do Brasil. Os cariótipos foram analisados por coloração com Giemsa, bandamendo C, impregnação por prata, DAPI e FISH com sondas de DNA satélite (PcP190), telomérica e de DNAr 28S. Todos os exemplares apresentaram 2n=24 cromossomos caracterizados como metacêntricos, submetacêntricos e subtelocêntricos. A região organizadora do nucléolo (NOR) foi localizada próxima ao centrômero no braço curto do par 10 em todos os Osteocephalus, exceto em Osteocephalus sp. que se encontra no braço longo do par 7, coincidentes com as constrições secundárias. Nos quatro espécimes fêmeas da população de O. cf. taurinus coletados em Laranjal do Jari/AP, foi observado um heteromorfismo na localização da NOR , no qual pode ter ocorrido uma inversão paracêntrica. Em Trachycephalus sp. e T. typhonius, a NOR foi detectada no telômero do braço longo do par 10. A distribuição de blocos heterocromáticos detectados por bandamento C variou entre as populações de Osteocephalus taurinus, contudo, foi observado uma banda constante nos pares 4, 10 e 12, e, adicionalmente, uma banda foi visualizada no braço curto do par 2 nas populações de Ferreira Gomes e Laranjal do Jari /AP. Na população de O. oophagus, o bandamento C foi semelhante a O. taurinus, O. cf. taurinus e O. sp. (aff. taurinus), entretanto uma banda adicional foi visualizada no braço curto do par 7. Em Osteocephalus sp. as bandas C foram detectadas nos pares 7, 8 e 12. Os experimentos de FISH com sonda do DNA satélite PcP190 mostraram sinal de hibridação na região terminal do par 12 de O. taurinus e O. oophagus, sinal mais fraco na região intersticial do braço longo do par 9 em O. oophagus e nas populações de Porto Velho/RO e de Pontes e Lacerda/MT de O. taurinus e na região terminal do braço curto do par 2 em Osteocephalus sp.. Em Trachycephalus sp. foi detectado sinal de hibridação na região pericentromérica do par 2 e em T. typhonius nenhum sinal foi visualizado. Os marcadores utilizados não diferenciaram os cariótipos de O. taurinus e O. oophagus, pois apresentaram cariótipos conservados, mas permitiram diferenciar Osteocephalus sp. das demais espécies analisadas, sugerindo que essa espécie deva ser caracterizada taxonomicamente. Nossos dados revelaram que a sonda de DNA satélite PcP190 pode ser um bom marcador para diferenciação cromossômica das espécies dos gêneros Osteocephalus e Trachycephalus / Abstract: The frogs of the genera Osteocephalus and Trachycephalus belong to the subfamily Hylinae present considerable morphological variation that suggests the existence of a number of as yet undescribed species, hampering taxonomic analyses. While a number of studies have focused on the Hylidae family, few cytogenetic data are available on Osteocephalus or Trachycephalus. In the present study, 43 specimens were examined, representing the species Osteocephalus taurinus, Osteocephalus cf. taurinus, Osteocephalus sp. (aff. taurinus), O. oophagus, Osteocephalus sp., T. typhonius, and Trachycephalus sp., from a variety of Brazilian localities. The karyotypes were analyzed using Giemsa staining, C banding, silver impregnation, and DAPI. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was conducted using satellite DNA (PcP190) probes, and telomeric and DNAr 28S sequences. All the specimens presented 2n = 24 chromosomes, including metacentric, submetacentric, and subtelocentric types. The Nucleolus Organizing Region (NOR) was located near the centromere of the short arm in pair 10 in all Osteocephalus specimens, except those of Osteocephalus sp., in which the NOR was found on the long arm of pair 7, coinciding with the secondary constrictions. The location of the NOR in the four female O. cf. taurinus specimens from Laranjal do Jari, in the Brazilian state of Amapá, was heteromorphic, indicating the possible occurrence of a paracentric inversion. In Trachycephalus sp. and T. typhonius, NOR was detected in the telomere of the long arm of pair 10. The distribution of the blocks of heterochromatin detected by C banding varied among the different Osteocephalus taurinus populations, although bands were invariably found in pairs 4,10, and 12, with an additional band being observed in pair 2 in the populations from Ferreira Gomes and Laranjal do Jari, both in Amapá. In the O. oophagus population, the C banding was similar to that found in O. taurinus, O. cf. taurinus, and O. sp. (aff. taurinus), although an additional band was observed in pair 7. In Osteocephalus sp., C bands were detected in pairs 7, 8, and 12. The FISH experiments using the PcP190 satellite DNA probe identified a hybridization signal in the terminal region of pair 12 in O. taurinus and O. oophagus, a weaker signal in the interstitial region of the long arm of pair 9 in O. oophagus and in the O. taurinus populations from Porto Velho (Rondônia) and Pontes and Lacerda, in Mato Grosso, and in the terminal region of the short arm of pair 2 in Osteocephalus sp. A hybridization signal was detected in the pericentromeric region of pair 2 in Trachycephalus sp., while in T. typhonius, no signal was found. The markers used in the present study did not differentiate O. taurinus from O. oophagus, which have conserved karyotypes, but did distinguish Osteocephalus sp. from all the other species, indicating that it is a new taxon, which requires formal identification. Overall, the results supported the use of the PcP190 satellite DNA probe as a marker for the differentiation of the chromosomes of the species of the genera Osteocephalus and Trachycephalus / Mestrado / Biologia Celular / Mestra em Biologia Celular e Estrutural

Les virus du genre Begomovirus (famille Geminiviridae) sont fréquemment détectés en association avec des ADN satellites appelées alphasatellite et betasatellite qui font la moitié de la taille du génome viral. L’alphasatellite est autonome pour sa réplication et dépend du virus pour son mouvement et son encapsidation tandis que le betasatellite est dépendant de ces fonctions virales. L’alphasatellite a rarement été montré comme ayant un impact sur le virus assistant, contrairement au betasatellite qui augmente la virulence de son virus assistant. En dehors des bégomovirus tels que le Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) qui ont besoin d’un betasatellite pour initier une infection symptomatique dans leur hôte naturel, la plupart des bégomovirus peuvent causer des symptômes, même sans les satellites avec lesquels ils sont parfois détectés. Le Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), un des virus les plus dommageables dans le monde a rarement été détecté associé à des ADN satellites. Les souches méditerranéennes qui sont aussi les plus invasives, n’ont jamais été détectées avec des ADN satellites, bien qu’elles soient capables en conditions artificielles de les assister avec pour conséquence une considérable augmentation de la virulence en cas de co-inoculation avec un betasatellite. Le risque potentiel d’association de satellites avec le TYLCV-Mld a été évalué en testant divers facteurs potentiellement impliqués dans le maintien de l’association TYLCV-satellite: (i) l'accumulation relative intra-plante du TYLCV et des satellites, (ii) la fréquence de co-infection au niveau cellulaire du TYLCV et des satellites, et (iii) l'efficacité de transmission des satellites par le vecteur Bemisia tabaci. Trois satellites précédemment isolés sur coton au Burkina Faso ont été montrés comme pouvant être assistés par le TYLCV dans des plantes de tomate: Cotton leaf curl Gezira betasatellite (CLCuGB), Cotton leaf curl Gezira alphasatellite (CLCuGA) et Okra leaf curl Burkina Faso alphasatellite (OLCBFA). La quantification par PCR quantitative des ADN du TYLCV et des trois satellites entre 11 et 150 jours après inoculation (dpi) révèle qu’en général, les satellites ont une accumulation supérieure à celle du virus, et que, contrairement aux alphasatellites qui n’ont aucun impact, le betasatellite affecte l’accumulation du TYLCV-Mld. Bien que le rapport des quantités de virus/satellites varie au cours du temps, les satellites sont maintenus avec le TYLCV-Mld au temps tardif de 150 dpi et sont transmis par B. tabaci à 32 et 150 dpi. Le TYLCV-IL interagit différemment avec le CLCuGB car son accumulation n’est pas affectée dans les plantes coinfectées.L’estimation par la technique FISH à 18 et 32 dpi de la fréquence d’association des molécules au niveau cellulaire montre que plus de la moitié des cellules infectées sont coinfectées par le TYLCV et un satellite. Ce résultat est cohérent avec la fréquence observée d’ADN satellite dans les plantes. Cependant, on observe de manière inattendue un nombre important de cellules ne semblant contenir que le betasatellite, ce qui pose des questions sur le fonctionnement des associations virus/satellites. Comme la multiplicité d'infection (MOI) des bégomovirus et des satellites est attendue pour être un facteur déterminant de l’efficacité de la co-infection cellulaire, deux variants équi-competitifs de TYLCV ont été préparés afin de déterminer ce paramètre. Enfin, des amorces PCR permettant la détection générique de betasatellites ont été dessinées pour être utilisées dans le diagnostic par l'Agence française pour l'alimentation, l'environnement et la santé et sécurité au travail (ANSES). Outre les conséquences agronomiques d’un maintien possible des satellites avec le TYLCV, les résultats de cette étude donnent un aperçu novateur sur les interactions entre les bégomovirus et les satellites, au niveau de la plante, au niveau cellulaire et moléculaire. / Begomoviruses (family Geminiviridae) are frequently detected with half genome sized defective virus DNAs, and for some of them with satellite DNAs of similar size, i.e. alphasatellite and betasatellite. Both molecules rely on the virus for maintenance in plant. The alphasatellite was rarely proved to have an impact on the helper virus but the betasatellite was often shown to increase its virulence. Except some begomoviruses, like Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) which rely on a betasatellite for a full symptomatic infection in its natural host plant, most of the begomoviruses which were frequently detected with satellites do not rely on them for infectivity. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is one of the most damaging begomovirus worldwide. The Mediterranean IL and Mld strains, the most invasive ones, were never detected in association with satellites, although they were experimentally proved to readily assist them for replication and movement in plant. This was particularly true for betasatellites and resulted in a dramatic increase in the virulence of TYLCV.The potential of a TYLCV-satellite association was assessed by testing various factors involved in the maintenance of both molecules in tomato plants: (i) the relative intra-plant accumulation of TYLCV and satellites, (ii) the frequency of host cells co-infected with TYLCV and satellites, and (iii) the transmission efficiency of satellites by the natural whitefly vector of TYLCV, Bemisia tabaci. Three satellites previously isolated from okra in Burkina Faso, were shown here to be assisted by TYLCV in tomato plants: Cotton leaf curl Gezira betasatellite (CLCuGB), Cotton leaf curl Gezira alphasatellite (CLCuGA) and Okra leaf curl Burkina Faso alphasatellite (OLCBFA). The dynamic of TYLCV and satellite DNAs monitored between 11 and 150 days post-inoculation (dpi) by quantitative PCR revealed that satellites accumulated at a higher level than the virus, and that, in contrast with alphasatellites which have no impact, betasatellites affected TYLCV-Mld accumulation. Although the ratio of virus/satellite amounts varies over time, satellites were maintained in all test plants up to 150 dpi and were readily transmitted at 32 and 150 dpi. TYLCV-IL interacts differentially with CLCuGB as its accumulation was not affected in the coinfected plants.At 32 dpi, the TYLCV/satellite infection status of plant cells was determined by FISH and more than 50% of the monitored infected cells were co-infected with TYLCV and a satellite. The infection status was consistent with the frequency of satellite DNA in plants. Unexpectedly a substantial number of cells were positive only for betasatellite, suggesting that the coinfection with the virus could be dispensable for replication. This observation raises question on the functioning of virus/satellite association or multipartite viruses. As the multiplicity of infection (MOI) of begomoviruses and satellites is expected to be a determinant of the efficiency of virus/satellite cell coinfection, two equi-competitive TYLCV variants were prepared to determine this parameter for TYLCV. Finally, PCR primers designed for the generic detection of betasatellites were designed to be used as a diagnostic tool by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES).Besides the agronomic concern of the possible maintenance of DNA satellites with TYLCV, the results of our study are expected to provide a new insight on the interactions between begomovirus and satellites, at the plant, cellular and molecular levels.

Hlavní motivací diplomové práce bylo najít vhodný algoritmus, který by vytvořil grafovou reprezentaci NGS sekvenačních dat v lineárním čase. Zvolenou metodou pro reprezentaci je de Bruijnův graf. V další části práce byl navrhnut nástroj, který je schopen transformovat graf do přijatelné podoby pro vykreslování, a dále je schopen odstraňovat chyby, které vznikají při konstrukci grafu. Cílem práce je vytvořit nástroj, který rekonstruuje repetitivní segmenty v DNA. Implementovaný nástroj byl otestován a je schopen identifikovat opakující se segmenty, určit jejich typy, vizualizovat je a sestavit jejich sekvenci na jednodušších genomech s velkou přesnotí. Při použití složitějších genomů, nástroj nalezne pouze fragmenty repetitivních segmentů.

Cellular senescence is thought to play an essential role in many biological functions including tumor suppression and organismal aging. Senescent cells, which are permanently removed from the cell cycle, can be found both in vivo in many different tissue types and in vitro within cultures of non-immortalized cells. Despite their inability to proliferate, these cells persist and remain metabolically active for indefinite periods of time. This physiologic process occurs in response to a variety of cellular insults including oxidative stress, shortened telomeres, constitutive oncogene expression, and DNA damage, and can be initiated by upregulation of one of the two known senescent pathways, involving p16/Rb or p53/p21. The senescent cell phenotype is also characterized by changes to cell and nuclear morphology and to the secretory profile of the cell. Related to changes in nuclear morphology, epigenetic modifications to the packaging of DNA are thought to be key to the initiation and maintenance of the senescence program. While a large number of earlier studies focused on the findings that senescent cells gain regions of condensed heterochromatin, often in the form of Senescent Associated Heterochromatin Foci (SAHF), this thesis work shows that there is a marked loss of heterochromatin in the peri/centromeric regions of the genome. In fact, both α-satellite and satellite II sequences across the genome distend in a striking and unanticipated fashion; this can be readily visualized by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) as their structure changes from a condensed spot to highly elongated and fine thread-like signals. We have termed this exceptional decondensation of constitutive heterochromatin Senescence Associated Distension of Satellites (SADS). Importantly, a series of experiments shows that SADS is both a consistent and an early event in the cell senescence process, which occurs as a result of every senescence induction method examined. We also observed that this distension was characteristic of both human and murine cells and in vivo in human benign Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) tissue. Furthermore, unlike SAHF formation, SADS can occur due to the activation of either of the two senescence pathways, p16/Rb or p53/p21. Additionally, the cytological dimensions of the thread-like satellite signals indicates that SADS represents “unraveling” of DNA on an unprecedented scale. Thus, it was surprising that this event was not facilitated by changes to several canonical histone modifications associated with condensed heterochromatin, namely H3K9Me3, H3K27Me3, or H3K4Me3, nor is it caused by loss of DNA methylation. Consequently, we believe that this marked distension of satellite DNA is due to changes in higher-order folding of the chromatin fiber. This is important for understanding fundamental events in the cell senescence process, but also provides a unique system for study of chromatin packaging that may provide new insights into the organization of DNA well beyond nucleosome packaging and the ten nanometer fiber. In fact, initial super resolution images of SADS suggest that the satellite sequences may be organized into domains or “globules”. Hence, we suggest that the changes to satellite sequence packaging may be facilitated by changes to higher-order nuclear structural proteins, such as LaminB1, which is reduced in senescent cells. Finally, this work provides analysis of the literature and preliminary experiments to consider the possibility that there are increased levels of cell senescence in Down syndrome (trisomy 21) cells. As individuals with Down syndrome (DS) experience many manifestations of premature aging (including early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease), have a resistance to solid tumor formation, are more susceptible to oxidative stress, and are trisomic for several genes implicated in causing senescence, our analysis provides plausibility for the hypothesis that accelerated rates of senescence may play a significant role in DS physiology. We also provide results of preliminary studies and outline the next steps for experimentation, using DS fibroblasts and a unique genetically engineered DS iPS cell system. As a final note, the quantification of cell senescence in trisomic versus disomic cells for these experiments relies substantially on the new single-cell marker of senescence discovered and established by this theses work, the Senescence-Associated Distension of Satellites.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-08-12T19:39:07Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese_versão_final_biblioteca_português.pdf: 2265965 bytes, checksum: 707851ccf48e28513fc34178bca7c739 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-12T19:39:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Tese_versão_final_biblioteca_português.pdf: 2265965 bytes, checksum: 707851ccf48e28513fc34178bca7c739 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-04 / Capes / Cromossomos holocêntricos apresentam atividade cinetocórica difusa e essa organização favorece, em teoria, rápidas variações cromossômicas numéricas e o acúmulo de DNA satélite (DNAsat) predominantemente nas regiões terminais dos cromossomos. O gênero de plantas Rhynchospora (Cyperaceae), um dos diversos grupos com esse tipo cromossômico, apresenta espécies com cariótipos entre 2n = 4 e 2n = 58, cuja variação é atribuída à poliploidia e a eventos de quebra/fusão, levando a disploidias. Quanto à distribuição de DNAsat, o único relato até o momento revelou uma baixa proporção dessas sequências, com o único repeat identificado (Tyba) associado aos holocentrômeros. Com o intuito de entender como a estrutura centromérica difusa interfere na organização de sequências ao longo do cromossomo e na evolução do cariótipo como um todo, foram realizadas uma análise de reconstrução dos números cromossômicos ancestrais de Rhynchospora em um contexto filogenético e a caracterização de DNAsats em três espécies do gênero. O complemento cromossômico 2n = 10 foi indicado como o mais provável para o ancestral do gênero, tendo sido mantido em diferentes taxa. A maioria dos clados mostrou números estáveis e a homoplasia de cariótipos foi observada em uma frequência relativamente baixa. Os genomas de R. ciliata/R. globosa e R. tenuis apresentaram duas e uma família(s) de DNAsat, respectivamente, com um padrão de condensação típico (blocos condensados em intérfase). Uma localização preferencial nos terminais cromossômicos foi observada apenas para os DNAsat de R. globosa. Três tipos de cromatina foram revelados pela distribuição dessas sequências: (1) associadas à heterocromatina e presente na forma de cromocentros em intérfase e blocos nos cromossomos metafásicos (R. ciliata e R. globosa); (2) compactados em interfase mas parcialmente descondensados em metáfase e não diretamente associados à heterocromatina (R. ciliata e R. tenuis); ou (3) associados aos holocentrômeros (R. ciliata e R. tenuis). De forma geral em Rhynchospora, os eventos de fusão e fissão parecem atuar localmente no remodelamento dos cariótipos e as sequências satélites não mostram uma tendência única de distribuição. A estrutura centromérica difusa, portanto, não determina em larga escala a dinâmica evolutiva dos cromossomos do gênero. / Holocentric chromosomes show diffuse kinetochore activity, what would lead to fast evolution of chromosome numbers and a biased distribution of satellite repeats. The plant genus Rhynchospora (Cyperaceae) possesses holocentric chromosomes and shows a large chromosome number variation (2n = 4 to 2n = 58) attributed to polyploidy and frequent fusion/fission events, leading to dysploidy. Regarding satellite repeats (satDNA), the only investigated species showed a low proportion of these sequences, with the single family identified associated to the holocentromeres. In the present work, aiming to better understand how the diffuse centromere organisation could interfere with the distribution of satellite repeats along the chromosomes and with the karyotype evolution as a whole, we combined a reconstruction of Rhynchospora chromosome numbers in a phylogenetic framework and the characterisation of satellite repeats in three selected species. The karyotype with 2n = 10 was suggested as the ancestral state and was maintained in different lineages. Most of the clades showed stable chromosome number and recurrent karyotypes changes (leading to homoplasies) were detected in low frequency. All Rhynchospora species analysed (R. ciliata, R. globosa and R. tenuis) showed a higher diversity of satellite repeats than R. pubera, with most of the repeats showing a typical condensation profile (clustered in interphase). A preferential terminal location on chromosomes was only observed for R. globosa satDNAs. These sequences, however, might represent different chromatin types, organized in distinct ways: (1) associated to the heterochromatin and clustered in interphase and metaphase (identified in R. ciliata and R. globosa only); (2) clustered in interphase but partially decondensed in metaphase and not associated to heterochromatin domains (R. ciliata e R. tenuis); (3) associated to the holocentromeres (R. ciliata e R. tenuis). Taken together, at least for Rhynchospora, fusion/fission events may not act in a broader way in the reshuffling of karyotypes and satellite repeats distribution do not appeared to be biased towards the chromosome termini. A non-localized centromere, therefore, must not constrain, in a large scale, the chromosome evolution of the genus.