Full text

Turn on search term navigation

© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: A striking feature of the karyotypes of stingless bees is the large amount of heterochromatin present in most species. Cytogenomic studies performed in some Meliponini species have suggested that evolutionary events related to the diversification and amplification of satellite DNA families in the heterochromatin may reflect the structuring of phylogenetic clades in this tribe. In this study, we performed a genomic analysis in Frieseomelitta varia to characterize different satDNA families in its genome. We also investigated the presence of the most abundant satDNA family of F. varia in its own chromosomes, in two other Frieseomelitta species, and in other Meliponini genera encompassing the three main clades of Neotropical Meliponini, according to the available molecular phylogeny. Methods: Genomic analyses were performed using RepeatExplorer2 on the Galaxy platform, and chromosomal investigations were conducted using fluorescent in situ hybridization. Results: Seven satDNA families were recovered, which together totaled an abundance of 11.223% of the analyzed F. varia genomic fraction. The most abundant satDNA family, FvarSat01-306, predominates in the analyzed repetitive fraction (representing around 89%) and was recently amplified and homogenized in almost all the heterochromatin of F. varia. In addition, the data revealed an unprecedented sharing of this satDNA family in the centromeric/pericentromeric heterochromatin among different Meliponini genera, with independent amplifications and loss of this sequence in some taxa. Conclusions: One family of satellite DNA makes up most of the heterochromatin in this species and is shared with other Meliponini.

Details

Title
Cytogenomics of Frieseomelitta varia (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and the Sharing of a Satellite DNA Family in Several Neotropical Meliponini Genera
Author
Vignati, Zulemara B M 1 ; Teixeira, Gisele A 1 ; Cunha, Marina S 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Pereira, Jaqueline A 1 ; Lopes, Denilce M 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Laboratório de Citogenética de Insetos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Universitário, Viçosa 36570-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil; [email protected] (Z.B.M.V.); [email protected] (G.A.T.); [email protected] (M.S.C.); [email protected] (J.A.P.) 
 Laboratório de Citogenética de Insetos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Campus Universitário, Viçosa 36570-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil; [email protected] (Z.B.M.V.); [email protected] (G.A.T.); [email protected] (M.S.C.); [email protected] (J.A.P.); Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Campus Seropédica, Seropédica 23891-970, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 
First page
86
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20734425
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3159432552
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.