B chromosomes effects over long noncodign RNAs in Astatotilapia latifasciata

• Grant number: 16/10141-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2016
• End date: January 19, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Principal Investigator: César Martins
• Grantee: Érica Ramos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

B chromosomes are supernumerary elements present in the karyotype of a great species number. Despite they are largely studied, there are questions about their functional and regulatory aspects, as well as their maintenance and transmission in cells. Astatotilapia latifasciata is an African specie that belongs to Cichlidae family and shows 0 to 2 B chromosomes in different individuals. Cichlidae family has the greatest number of species in fish group and is studied due to the rapid and extensive adaptive radiation which is subjected to. In A. latifasciata, B chromosomes genomic content reported genes, repetitive elements and a putative long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) called BncRNA. Besides, expression levels analysis of some messenger RNAs, micro RNAs and BncRNA showed alterations in presence of B chromosomes. These results reinforce the idea that B chromosomes must affect, direct or indirectly, complex regulatory mechanisms. lncRNAs are molecules that act by different mechanisms in cell regulatory processes, including those involved in cell division and structure and maintenance of chromatin and chromosomes. Thus, this project aims to understand the possible effects of B chromosomes over the expression levels and function of lncRNAs in cell environment regulation. (AU)