O presente trabalho teve por objetivo compreender e analisar os mecanismos genéticos e epigenéticos da expressão diferencial de regiões organizadoras do nucléolo - RONs através do estudo de dois acessos (CRT-1 e CRT-2) de Crotalaria retusa. O acesso CRT-1 é uma cultivar, enquanto que o acesso CRT-2 é proveniente de uma população periférica da orla marítima de Ilhéus BA. Por serem temporalmente e espacialmente separados, acredita-se que os acessos foram submetidos a pressões seletivas diferentes, resultando em alterações dos padrões epigenéticos, principalmente nas RONs. Para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho foram realizadas medidas cromossômicas e nucleolares a partir de células coradas pelo método de Feulgen e por nitrato de prata, coloração com fluorocromos específicos às regiões cromossômicas ricas em nucleotídeos GC e AT, mapeamento físico dos locos de DNA ribossômico 45S por hibridação in situ fluorescente, análise qualitativa e quantitativa de modificações pós-traducionais de histonas por Western blot e eletroforese bidimensional de extrato protéico radicular com enfoque em proteínas envolvidas nos mecanismos epigenéticos. As análises citológicas demonstraram uma grande semelhança nos cariótipos dos dois acessos, diferindo apenas no tamanho do segmento proximal do braço curto do cromossomo 1. Em ambos os acessos foi observada uma expressão nucleolar diferencial em, aproximadamente, 50% das células; contudo, a expressão diferencial em CRT-2 apresentou-se consideravelmente maior. Além disso, os dois acessos demonstraram diferenças quantitativas nas modificações pós-traducionais de histonas e em proteínas possivelmente envolvidas em mecanismos epigenéticos. Uma vez que as variações epigenéticas podem ser modificadas por fatores ambientais, sugere-se que as diferenças nos padrões de modificações de histonas e nos perfis protéicos encontradas entre os acessos, como também a expressão diferencial mais expressiva em CRT-2, sejam devidas às diferentes pressões seletivas as quais as populações originais foram submetidas. O estudo dos mecanismos genéticos e epigenéticos na dominância nucleolar possibilita uma maior compreensão da ação do remodelamento da cromatina no controle da expressão gênica do rDNA, como também da expressão gênica em geral. / The aim of this present work was to understand and analyze the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of differential expression of the nucleolus organizer regions - NORs through the study of two accesses (CRT-1 and CRT-2) of Crotalaria retusa. Access CRT-1 is a cultivar, while access CRT-2 is from a peripheral population of the shoreline of Ilhéus BA. Because they are temporally and spatially separated, it is believed that the accesses were submitted to different selective pressures, resulting in changes in epigenetic patterns, primarily in NORs. To develop this work, it was carried out chromosomal and nucleolar measurements from cell stained by Feulgen method and silver nitrate, staining with specific fluorochromes to chromosomal regions rich in GC and AT nucleotides, physical mapping of 45S ribosomal DNA loci by fluorescent in situ hybridization, qualitative and quantitative analysis of post-translational histone modifications by western blot, and two-dimensional electrophoresis of root extract protein focusing on proteins involved in epigenetic mechanisms. The cytological analysis showed a great similarity in karyotypes of two accessions, differing only in size of the proximal segment of the sort arm of chromosome 1. In both accesses, it was observed a differential nucleolar expression in approximately 50% of the cells; however, the differential expression in CRT-2 showed considerably larger. Furthermore, the two accesses showed quantitative differences in the posttranslational histone modifications, and in a protein possibly involved in epigenetic mechanisms. Since epigenetic variations can be modified by environmental factors, it is suggested that differences in patterns of histone modifications and protein profiles found between the accesses, but also the most significant differential expression in CRT-2, are due to different selective pressures to which the original populations were submitted. Studies of the epigenetic mechanisms in nucleolar dominance allows a better understanding of the action of the remodeling of chromatin in controlling the dosage of rRNA genes, but also in the control of gene expression in general.

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo compreender e analisar os mecanismos genéticos e epigenéticos da expressão diferencial de regiões organizadoras do nucléolo - RONs através do estudo de dois acessos (CRT-1 e CRT-2) de Crotalaria retusa. O acesso CRT-1 é uma cultivar, enquanto que o acesso CRT-2 é proveniente de uma população periférica da orla marítima de Ilhéus BA. Por serem temporalmente e espacialmente separados, acredita-se que os acessos foram submetidos a pressões seletivas diferentes, resultando em alterações dos padrões epigenéticos, principalmente nas RONs. Para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho foram realizadas medidas cromossômicas e nucleolares a partir de células coradas pelo método de Feulgen e por nitrato de prata, coloração com fluorocromos específicos às regiões cromossômicas ricas em nucleotídeos GC e AT, mapeamento físico dos locos de DNA ribossômico 45S por hibridação in situ fluorescente, análise qualitativa e quantitativa de modificações pós-traducionais de histonas por Western blot e eletroforese bidimensional de extrato protéico radicular com enfoque em proteínas envolvidas nos mecanismos epigenéticos. As análises citológicas demonstraram uma grande semelhança nos cariótipos dos dois acessos, diferindo apenas no tamanho do segmento proximal do braço curto do cromossomo 1. Em ambos os acessos foi observada uma expressão nucleolar diferencial em, aproximadamente, 50% das células; contudo, a expressão diferencial em CRT-2 apresentou-se consideravelmente maior. Além disso, os dois acessos demonstraram diferenças quantitativas nas modificações pós-traducionais de histonas e em proteínas possivelmente envolvidas em mecanismos epigenéticos. Uma vez que as variações epigenéticas podem ser modificadas por fatores ambientais, sugere-se que as diferenças nos padrões de modificações de histonas e nos perfis protéicos encontradas entre os acessos, como também a expressão diferencial mais expressiva em CRT-2, sejam devidas às diferentes pressões seletivas as quais as populações originais foram submetidas. O estudo dos mecanismos genéticos e epigenéticos na dominância nucleolar possibilita uma maior compreensão da ação do remodelamento da cromatina no controle da expressão gênica do rDNA, como também da expressão gênica em geral. / The aim of this present work was to understand and analyze the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of differential expression of the nucleolus organizer regions - NORs through the study of two accesses (CRT-1 and CRT-2) of Crotalaria retusa. Access CRT-1 is a cultivar, while access CRT-2 is from a peripheral population of the shoreline of Ilhéus BA. Because they are temporally and spatially separated, it is believed that the accesses were submitted to different selective pressures, resulting in changes in epigenetic patterns, primarily in NORs. To develop this work, it was carried out chromosomal and nucleolar measurements from cell stained by Feulgen method and silver nitrate, staining with specific fluorochromes to chromosomal regions rich in GC and AT nucleotides, physical mapping of 45S ribosomal DNA loci by fluorescent in situ hybridization, qualitative and quantitative analysis of post-translational histone modifications by western blot, and two-dimensional electrophoresis of root extract protein focusing on proteins involved in epigenetic mechanisms. The cytological analysis showed a great similarity in karyotypes of two accessions, differing only in size of the proximal segment of the sort arm of chromosome 1. In both accesses, it was observed a differential nucleolar expression in approximately 50% of the cells; however, the differential expression in CRT-2 showed considerably larger. Furthermore, the two accesses showed quantitative differences in the posttranslational histone modifications, and in a protein possibly involved in epigenetic mechanisms. Since epigenetic variations can be modified by environmental factors, it is suggested that differences in patterns of histone modifications and protein profiles found between the accesses, but also the most significant differential expression in CRT-2, are due to different selective pressures to which the original populations were submitted. Studies of the epigenetic mechanisms in nucleolar dominance allows a better understanding of the action of the remodeling of chromatin in controlling the dosage of rRNA genes, but also in the control of gene expression in general.

Orb-weavers (Araneidae) are a diversified spider family comprising more than 3,100 species in more than 170 genera. Together with 13 other families, they con- stitute to superfamily Araneoidea. The presented thesis focuses on karyotype evo- lution of Araneidae, including its comparison with a related family Tetragnathidae. The results obtained from 19 araneid and four tetragnathid species confirm previ- ously postulated hypothesis that the ancestral karyotype of Araneoidea (including Araneidae) consists of 24 acrocentric chromosomes in males, including two acro- centric X chromosomes of system X1X20. However, there is a tendency of 2n decrease in some araneids due to centric fusions. In these cases, centric fusions affected most autosomes (and sometimes gonosomes as well); number of chromosome pairs de- creased from 11 to six. Three independent reduction events were detected in this thesis. Furthermore, pattern of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) was studied in this thesis using fluorescent in situ hybridization, since data on evolution of this marker are scarce in spiders. Striking variability in NORs number was discovered, ranging from one to 13 loci. Remarkably, multiple centric fusions were always ac- companied by considerable increase of NORs number. In araneids and tetragnathids possessing...

Orb-weavers (Araneidae) are a diversified spider family comprising more than 3,100 species in more than 170 genera. Together with 13 other families, they con- stitute to superfamily Araneoidea. The presented thesis focuses on karyotype evo- lution of Araneidae, including its comparison with a related family Tetragnathidae. The results obtained from 19 araneid and four tetragnathid species confirm previ- ously postulated hypothesis that the ancestral karyotype of Araneoidea (including Araneidae) consists of 24 acrocentric chromosomes in males, including two acro- centric X chromosomes of system X1X20. However, there is a tendency of 2n decrease in some araneids due to centric fusions. In these cases, centric fusions affected most autosomes (and sometimes gonosomes as well); number of chromosome pairs de- creased from 11 to six. Three independent reduction events were detected in this thesis. Furthermore, pattern of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) was studied in this thesis using fluorescent in situ hybridization, since data on evolution of this marker are scarce in spiders. Striking variability in NORs number was discovered, ranging from one to 13 loci. Remarkably, multiple centric fusions were always ac- companied by considerable increase of NORs number. In araneids and tetragnathids possessing...

Resumo: Os triatomíneos são insetos hematófagos de grande importância para a parasitologia humana, pois são transmissores do Trypanosoma cruzi, protozoário causador da doença de Chagas. Além de sua importância médico-sanitária, os triatomíneos destacam-se pela sua citogenética, pois possuem cromossomos holocêntricos e um modelo de meiose incomum, com meiose invertida para os cromossomos sexuais. Recentes pesquisas com marcadores moleculares em triatomíneos tentam compreender a ancestralidade do grupo. Uma das formas de se compreender a evolução entre espécies é a partir da análise de seqüências do DNA ribossômico (DNAr). Por pertencer a famílias multigênicas, cópias individuais do DNAr não acumulam mutações independentemente, resultando em pequena variação intra-específica e relevante diferenciação interespecífica. No presente trabalho foi realizado um estudo comparativo entre as espécies Triatoma maculata e Triatoma pseudomaculata, com base no uso das técnicas citogenéticas convencionais de orceína lacto-acética, impregnação por íons prata, bandamento-C, reação de Feulgen; da técnica de citogenética molecular de bandamento- C CMA/DAPI; e também por meio da análise da região ITS-1 do DNAr, com base no sequenciamento, com o objetivo de avaliar o grau de homologia entre as espécies estudadas. Os cariogramas das duas espécies indicaram dez pares de autossomos (um deles de tamanho maior) e um par de cromossomos sexuais (2n = 22). No ciclo meiótico foi possível observar a fragmentação da região nucleolar no final do estágio difuso. Corpúsculos nucleolares foram observados em alguns dos núcleos em metáfases meióticas de T. pseudomaculata, evidenciando a persistência nucleolar. A técnica de bandamento-C revelou que o cromossomo Y é heterocromático em ambas as espécies. O sequencimento da região ITS-1, indicou que as espécies apresenta... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The triatomines are hematophagous insects of great concern in public health because they are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan that causes Chagas disease. Triatomines are also of great genetic interest, because that they present holocentric chromosomes and an unusual form of meiosis with post-reductional segregation of sex chromosomes. Recent studies based on molecular markers try to understand the evolutionary history of triatomines. To understand the evolution of a given species, ribosomal DNA (rDNA) analyses are frequently used, which can help to infer evolutionary relationships among species. Individual copies of rDNA do not accumulate mutations independently because they belong to multigene families, resulting in slight intraspecific and important interspecific variation. In this study, a comparative analysis was performed between the species Triatoma maculata and Triatoma pseudomaculata, based on the cytogenetic techniques of lacto-acetic orcein, silver ion impregnation, Cbanding, Feulgen reaction; and CMA/DAPI C-banding. We also compared the species by sequencing the ITS-1 rDNA internal transcribed region in order to evaluate the degree of homology among the studied species. The cariograms of the two species revealed ten autosomes and one pair of sexual chromosomes (2n= 22). In the meiotic cycle, nucleolar fragmentation during the final stages of meiotic prophase I was found. Nucleolar corpuscles were found in some meiotic metaphases of T. pseudomaculata, which is evidence of nucleolar persistence. The C-banding technique revealed that the Y chromosome is heterochromatic in both species. The ITS-1 rDNA sequences showed that the species presented a discharge proximity to each other, and had a high degree of homology (98.5%). The knowledge obtained in this study contributes to the understanding of the interrelation and distribution of those species, and offers... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Orientador: Maria Tercília Vilela de Azeredo Oliveira / Coorientador: Lilian Castiglioni / Banca: João Aristeu da Rosa / Banca: Carlos Roberto Ceron / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-02-19Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:33:40Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 mendonca_pp_me_sjrp.pdf: 681812 bytes, checksum: d7353da4e0742a18d8d505b0587fda7b (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Os triatomíneos são insetos hematófagos de grande importância para a parasitologia humana, pois são transmissores do Trypanosoma cruzi, protozoário causador da doença de Chagas. Além de sua importância médico-sanitária, os triatomíneos destacam-se pela sua citogenética, pois possuem cromossomos holocêntricos e um modelo de meiose incomum, com meiose invertida para os cromossomos sexuais. Recentes pesquisas com marcadores moleculares em triatomíneos tentam compreender a ancestralidade do grupo. Uma das formas de se compreender a evolução entre espécies é a partir da análise de seqüências do DNA ribossômico (DNAr). Por pertencer a famílias multigênicas, cópias individuais do DNAr não acumulam mutações independentemente, resultando em pequena variação intra-específica e relevante diferenciação interespecífica. No presente trabalho foi realizado um estudo comparativo entre as espécies Triatoma maculata e Triatoma pseudomaculata, com base no uso das técnicas citogenéticas convencionais de orceína lacto-acética, impregnação por íons prata, bandamento-C, reação de Feulgen; da técnica de citogenética molecular de bandamento- C CMA/DAPI; e também por meio da análise da região ITS-1 do DNAr, com base no sequenciamento, com o objetivo de avaliar o grau de homologia entre as espécies estudadas. Os cariogramas das duas espécies indicaram dez pares de autossomos (um deles de tamanho maior) e um par de cromossomos sexuais (2n = 22). No ciclo meiótico foi possível observar a fragmentação da região nucleolar no final do estágio difuso. Corpúsculos nucleolares foram observados em alguns dos núcleos em metáfases meióticas de T. pseudomaculata, evidenciando a persistência nucleolar. A técnica de bandamento-C revelou que o cromossomo Y é heterocromático em ambas as espécies. O sequencimento da região ITS-1, indicou que as espécies apresenta... / The triatomines are hematophagous insects of great concern in public health because they are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan that causes Chagas disease. Triatomines are also of great genetic interest, because that they present holocentric chromosomes and an unusual form of meiosis with post-reductional segregation of sex chromosomes. Recent studies based on molecular markers try to understand the evolutionary history of triatomines. To understand the evolution of a given species, ribosomal DNA (rDNA) analyses are frequently used, which can help to infer evolutionary relationships among species. Individual copies of rDNA do not accumulate mutations independently because they belong to multigene families, resulting in slight intraspecific and important interspecific variation. In this study, a comparative analysis was performed between the species Triatoma maculata and Triatoma pseudomaculata, based on the cytogenetic techniques of lacto-acetic orcein, silver ion impregnation, Cbanding, Feulgen reaction; and CMA/DAPI C-banding. We also compared the species by sequencing the ITS-1 rDNA internal transcribed region in order to evaluate the degree of homology among the studied species. The cariograms of the two species revealed ten autosomes and one pair of sexual chromosomes (2n= 22). In the meiotic cycle, nucleolar fragmentation during the final stages of meiotic prophase I was found. Nucleolar corpuscles were found in some meiotic metaphases of T. pseudomaculata, which is evidence of nucleolar persistence. The C-banding technique revealed that the Y chromosome is heterochromatic in both species. The ITS-1 rDNA sequences showed that the species presented a discharge proximity to each other, and had a high degree of homology (98.5%). The knowledge obtained in this study contributes to the understanding of the interrelation and distribution of those species, and offers... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Karyotype analysis of selected species from arachnid orders Amblypygi and Uropygi Whip spiders (Amblypygi) and whip scorpions (Uropygi) represent relict arachnid orders which has been found already at Upper Carboniferous strata. Although cytogenetic data from amblypygids and uropygids might be important to reconstruct karyotype evolution of arachnids, cytogenetics of these orders is almost unknown. Presented study is aimed in analysis of karyotype and meiosis in 16 species of Amblypygi and 4 species of Uropygi. Both groups are characterized by considerable range of diploid chromosome numbers (2n = 24 - 86 in Amblypygi and 36 - 66 in Uropygi). Analysed species does not exhibit morfologically differentiated sex chromosomes. Differentiation of sex chromosomes on molecular level was revealed in amblypygid Paraphrynus mexicanus by comparative genome hybridization. Obtained data indicate XY/XX sex chromosome system in this species. Comparison of karyotype data indicates reduction of chromosome numbers during evolution of both orders. In Amblypygi, this reduction was accompanied by increase of number of biarmed chromosomes. This trend is not apparent in Uropygi. Karyotypes of most analysed amblypygids and uropygids are also characterized by low amount of heterochromatin. Most studied species exhibit two pairs...