A chromosome map of Belgica antarctica Jacobs (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Antarctica, including chromosome variability

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Michailova, Paraskeva, Kovalenko, Pavlo, Serga, Svitlana, Parnikoza, Ivan, Kozeretska, Iryna, Convey, Peter
• Other Authors: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine = Національна академія наук України = Académie nationale des sciences d'Ukraine (NASU / НАН України), Institute for Evolutionary Ecology (IEE), Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, National Antarctic Scientific Center of Ukraine, Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR CBGP), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD France-Sud )-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut Agro Montpellier, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of NAS of Ukraine, British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), University of Johannesburg South Africa (UJ), Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE) (BASE)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2023
• Subjects: Antarctic midge; chromosome aberrations; polytene chromosomes; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; [SDV.BID.SPT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics; Phylogenetics and taxonomy; [SDV.GEN.GPO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Genetics/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE]; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Antarctic Science; Antarctica; Argentine Islands; Belgica antarctica; Galindez Island
• Online Access: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04285410; https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102023000202

International audience Belgica antarctica Jacobs (Diptera: Chironomidae) is the only endemic insect found in the Antarctic Peninsula region and has stimulated considerable research interest. Due to recent rapid changes in regional climate in Antarctica, there is growing interest in studying the responses of this species to environmental changes, in particular at the chromosomal level. Chromosomal inversions are known to play an important role in speciation and adaptation in many insect species, but their frequencies in natural populations are poorly understood. In the current study, we provide the first standard polytene chromosome map for B. antarctica , which will enable the precise location of chromosomal abnormalities in future studies. We further analysed chromosomal polymorphisms in fourth-instar larvae collected from two different locations on Galindez Island, Argentine Islands, western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. We found four previously reported and two new inherited inversions, and we discuss their possible adaptive role in response to environmental stressors in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Our data provide a foundation for future studies exploring the potential role of B. antarctica chromosomal polymorphisms in adaptation to the changing environment.