Chromosomal location of rDNA clusters and TTAGG telomeric repeats in eight species of the spittlebug genus Philaenus (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Aphrophoridae)

• Main Authors: Anna MARYAŃSKA-NADACHOWSKA, Valentina G. KUZNETSOVA, Tatyana V. KARAMYSHEVA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science 2013-07-01
• Series: European Journal of Entomology
• Subjects: philaenus; aphrophoridae; auchenorrhyncha; fish; ag-nor; rdna; telomeres
• Online Access: https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-201303-0004_Chromosomal_location_of_rDNA_clusters_and_TTAGG_telomeric_repeats_in_eight_species_of_the_spittlebug_genus_Phil.php

A cytogenetic investigation was performed in eight species of the spittlebug genus Philaenus using silver-NOR (AgNOR)-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 18S rDNA and (TTAGG)n telomeric probes. This is the first application of FISH technique in the Auchenorrhyncha, a suborder of the Hemiptera. FISH along with the rDNA probe revealed differences between species in the number and chromosomal location of major ribosomal RNA gene sites, the so-called nucleolar organizer regions (NORs). However, we found a lack of perfect correlation between the results of AgNOR-staining and rDNA-FISH in the detection of NORs. FISH with the telomeric probe confirmed that the chromosome ends of the Philaenus species are composed of the (TTAGG)n nucleotide sequence, which is a common motif of insect telomeres.