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Chromosome banding in Amphibia

VII. Analysis of the structure and variability of NORs in Anura

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Abstract

The structure of the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) in mitotic chromosomes, diploid nuclei and spermatogenesis was studied in 260 individual animals from 23 genera of the Anura. The analyses were performed with conventional cytogenetic methods as well as with Ag-staining, GC- and AT-specific fluorochromes (mithramycin, chromomycin A3, quinacrine) and C-banding. Most of the species have only one pair of NORs in their karyotypes. The majority of individuals of all species exhibited considerable differences in the sizes of their homologous NORs. Most of these heteromorphisms are due to tandem duplications or triplications in one of the two NORs. However, duplicated or triplicated NORs never occur in a homozygous form, but are instead always in combination with a normal-structured NOR in the homologous chromosome. In three animals, a complete deletion of one NOR and its closely associated constitutive heterochromatin was determined. The cytochemistry of the specific NOR-stainings are discussed. The size differences of the Ag-, mithramycin- and chromomycin A3-stained NORs can be traced to differences in the rDNA content in these NORs.

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Schmid, M. Chromosome banding in Amphibia. Chromosoma 87, 327–344 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00327634

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