Reproductive Isolation Between Taxonomically Controversial Forms of the Gray Voles (Microtus, Rodentia; Arvicolinae): Cytological Mechanisms and Taxonomical Implications
The formation of hybrid sterility is an important stage of speciation. The voles of the genus Microtus, which is the most speciose genus of rodents, provide a good model for studying the cytological mechanisms of hybrid sterility. The voles of the “mystacinus” group of the subgenus Microtus (2n = 54...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.653837 https://doaj.org/article/7b68067e324441039ce8cfa3d9e3f079 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:7b68067e324441039ce8cfa3d9e3f079 2023-05-15T17:12:39+02:00 Reproductive Isolation Between Taxonomically Controversial Forms of the Gray Voles (Microtus, Rodentia; Arvicolinae): Cytological Mechanisms and Taxonomical Implications Tatiana I. Bikchurina Fedor N. Golenishchev Elena A. Kizilova Ahmad Mahmoudi Pavel M. Borodin 2021-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.653837 https://doaj.org/article/7b68067e324441039ce8cfa3d9e3f079 EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.653837/full https://doaj.org/toc/1664-8021 1664-8021 doi:10.3389/fgene.2021.653837 https://doaj.org/article/7b68067e324441039ce8cfa3d9e3f079 Frontiers in Genetics, Vol 12 (2021) voles meiotic abnormalities hybrid sterility reproductive isolation taxonomic status Genetics QH426-470 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.653837 2022-12-31T12:00:40Z The formation of hybrid sterility is an important stage of speciation. The voles of the genus Microtus, which is the most speciose genus of rodents, provide a good model for studying the cytological mechanisms of hybrid sterility. The voles of the “mystacinus” group of the subgenus Microtus (2n = 54) comprising several recently diverged forms with unclear taxonomic status are especially interesting. To resolve the taxonomic status of Microtus mystacinus and Microtus kermanensis, we crossed both with Microtus rossiaemeridionalis, and M. kermanensis alone with Microtus arvalis “obscurus” and M. transcaspicus and examined the reproductive performance of their F1 hybrids. All interspecies male hybrids were sterile. Female M. kermanensis × M. arvalis and M. kermanensis × M. transcaspicus hybrids were sterile as well. Therefore, M. mystacinus, M. kermanensis, and M. rossiaemeridionalis could be considered valid species. To gain an insight into the cytological mechanisms of male hybrid sterility, we carried out a histological analysis of spermatogenesis and a cytological analysis of chromosome synapsis, recombination, and epigenetic chromatin modifications in the germ cells of the hybrids using immunolocalization of key meiotic proteins. The hybrids showed wide variation in the onset of spermatogenesis arrest stage, from mature (although abnormal) spermatozoa to spermatogonia only. Chromosome asynapsis was apparently the main cause of meiotic arrest. The degree of asynapsis varied widely across cells, individuals, and the crosses—from partial asynapsis of several small bivalents to complete asynapsis of all chromosomes. The asynapsis was accompanied by a delayed repair of DNA double-strand breaks marked by RAD51 antibodies and silencing of unpaired chromatin marked by γH2A.X antibodies. Overall, the severity of disturbances in spermatogenesis in general and in chromosome synapsis in particular increased in the hybrids with an increase in the phylogenetic distance between their parental species. Article in Journal/Newspaper Microtus arvalis Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Frontiers in Genetics 12 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
voles meiotic abnormalities hybrid sterility reproductive isolation taxonomic status Genetics QH426-470 |
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voles meiotic abnormalities hybrid sterility reproductive isolation taxonomic status Genetics QH426-470 Tatiana I. Bikchurina Fedor N. Golenishchev Elena A. Kizilova Ahmad Mahmoudi Pavel M. Borodin Reproductive Isolation Between Taxonomically Controversial Forms of the Gray Voles (Microtus, Rodentia; Arvicolinae): Cytological Mechanisms and Taxonomical Implications |
topic_facet |
voles meiotic abnormalities hybrid sterility reproductive isolation taxonomic status Genetics QH426-470 |
description |
The formation of hybrid sterility is an important stage of speciation. The voles of the genus Microtus, which is the most speciose genus of rodents, provide a good model for studying the cytological mechanisms of hybrid sterility. The voles of the “mystacinus” group of the subgenus Microtus (2n = 54) comprising several recently diverged forms with unclear taxonomic status are especially interesting. To resolve the taxonomic status of Microtus mystacinus and Microtus kermanensis, we crossed both with Microtus rossiaemeridionalis, and M. kermanensis alone with Microtus arvalis “obscurus” and M. transcaspicus and examined the reproductive performance of their F1 hybrids. All interspecies male hybrids were sterile. Female M. kermanensis × M. arvalis and M. kermanensis × M. transcaspicus hybrids were sterile as well. Therefore, M. mystacinus, M. kermanensis, and M. rossiaemeridionalis could be considered valid species. To gain an insight into the cytological mechanisms of male hybrid sterility, we carried out a histological analysis of spermatogenesis and a cytological analysis of chromosome synapsis, recombination, and epigenetic chromatin modifications in the germ cells of the hybrids using immunolocalization of key meiotic proteins. The hybrids showed wide variation in the onset of spermatogenesis arrest stage, from mature (although abnormal) spermatozoa to spermatogonia only. Chromosome asynapsis was apparently the main cause of meiotic arrest. The degree of asynapsis varied widely across cells, individuals, and the crosses—from partial asynapsis of several small bivalents to complete asynapsis of all chromosomes. The asynapsis was accompanied by a delayed repair of DNA double-strand breaks marked by RAD51 antibodies and silencing of unpaired chromatin marked by γH2A.X antibodies. Overall, the severity of disturbances in spermatogenesis in general and in chromosome synapsis in particular increased in the hybrids with an increase in the phylogenetic distance between their parental species. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Tatiana I. Bikchurina Fedor N. Golenishchev Elena A. Kizilova Ahmad Mahmoudi Pavel M. Borodin |
author_facet |
Tatiana I. Bikchurina Fedor N. Golenishchev Elena A. Kizilova Ahmad Mahmoudi Pavel M. Borodin |
author_sort |
Tatiana I. Bikchurina |
title |
Reproductive Isolation Between Taxonomically Controversial Forms of the Gray Voles (Microtus, Rodentia; Arvicolinae): Cytological Mechanisms and Taxonomical Implications |
title_short |
Reproductive Isolation Between Taxonomically Controversial Forms of the Gray Voles (Microtus, Rodentia; Arvicolinae): Cytological Mechanisms and Taxonomical Implications |
title_full |
Reproductive Isolation Between Taxonomically Controversial Forms of the Gray Voles (Microtus, Rodentia; Arvicolinae): Cytological Mechanisms and Taxonomical Implications |
title_fullStr |
Reproductive Isolation Between Taxonomically Controversial Forms of the Gray Voles (Microtus, Rodentia; Arvicolinae): Cytological Mechanisms and Taxonomical Implications |
title_full_unstemmed |
Reproductive Isolation Between Taxonomically Controversial Forms of the Gray Voles (Microtus, Rodentia; Arvicolinae): Cytological Mechanisms and Taxonomical Implications |
title_sort |
reproductive isolation between taxonomically controversial forms of the gray voles (microtus, rodentia; arvicolinae): cytological mechanisms and taxonomical implications |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.653837 https://doaj.org/article/7b68067e324441039ce8cfa3d9e3f079 |
genre |
Microtus arvalis |
genre_facet |
Microtus arvalis |
op_source |
Frontiers in Genetics, Vol 12 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.653837/full https://doaj.org/toc/1664-8021 1664-8021 doi:10.3389/fgene.2021.653837 https://doaj.org/article/7b68067e324441039ce8cfa3d9e3f079 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.653837 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Genetics |
container_volume |
12 |
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1766069434380713984 |