Physical mapping of 18S rDNA cistron in species of the Omophoita genus (Coleoptera, Alticinae) using fluorescent in situ hybridization.

Alticinae has the greatest amount of biodiversity among the Chrysomelidae, with 40,000 described species, only 290 of which have been analyzed cytogenetically. The majority of studies refer to conventional staining and few species have been analyzed or have responded to differential staining methods. The aim of the present study was to describe an 18S rDNA probe for Alticinae and the location of this cluster in species of the Omophoita genus. The fragment of approximately 750bp obtained through a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) amplification reaction with specific oligonucleotides to 18S rDNA was cloned and denominated pTZ_Ooct_18Sp and then submitted to automatic sequencing. The alignment of the sequences obtained through the sequencing of the clones generated a consensus sequence of 722bp for Omophoita octoguttata with 98% homology with other species of Alticinae. The analysis of mitotic cells of O. octoguttata and Omophoita magniguttis submitted to fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with the 18S rDNA probe revealed that the ribosomal genes are located in 6th pair. O. magniguttis also has a second labeled pair. Omophoita personata exhibited nucleolar organizer regions associated to one autosome pair. The analysis of meiotic cells submitted to FISH revealed one labeled bivalent in metaphase I in O. octoguttata and O. personata and in one chromosome in metaphase II in O. octoguttata. FISH data suggest a conserved pattern in the species analyzed and an apomorphy of O. magniguttis karyotype. The rDNA 18S probe could be considered an important marker to evidence the karyotypic differentiation, not observed with conventional methodologies, in species considered karyotypically conserved and uniform.