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Synaptonemal complex analysis of interspecific hybrids of Poecilia. (Teleostei, Poecilidae)

Marina I. Rodionova; Sergei V. Nikitin; Pavel M. Borodin

Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia. Send correspondence to P.M.B.

ABSTRACT

The pattern of chromosome pairing at meiotic prophase in males of the guppy (Poecilia reticulatus), black molly (P. sphenops), marble molly (P. velifera) and hybrids between these species was examined by means of electron microscopy of surface spread synaptonemal complexes. Meiotic chromosomes of the pure species and P. sphenops x P. velifera hybrid showed complete pairing at pachytene. No indication of heteromorphism for any chromosomes was found. The vast majority of pachytene cells of the P. velifera x P. reticulatus hybrid demonstrated various signs of pairing failure: univalents, interlocks, multiple non-homologous pairing and end-to-end associations. However, a few cells were found to contain all completely paired homomorphic bivalents. These findings imply that: (1) genetic divergence between these species was not accompanied by gross chromosomal rearrangements; (2) pairing failure in the P. velifera x P. reticulatus hybrid is apparently determined by a difference in the species-specific mechanism controlling meiotic prophase, rather than chromosome divergence.

Keywords: synaptonemal; Poecilia.

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