Comparative chromosome analysis of Lithobates palmipes and Lithobates catesbeianus (Anura, Ranidae)

• Grant number: 18/10925-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2019
• End date: February 28, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Patricia Pasquali Parise Maltempi
• Grantee: Murilo Durigon Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Currently, they are described to order Anura 6, 929 species that are distributed on virtually all continents, except Antarctica, with Brazil being registered to an occurrence of 1,080 species. There are now 51 species found for the genus Lithobates, Anura, Ranidae, distributed throughout the Americas, with only two occurrences in Brazil, emphasizing that one of them is exotic. Therefore, by means of conventional and molecular cytogenetic analysis, this study aims to research cytogenetically individuals of L. palmipes and L. catesbeianus, focused on comparative studies between the two species, as well as interpopulation analyzes of L. palmipes, in search of cytological markers that can characterize the species, provide subsidies for status recognition taxonomy of L. palmipes, the only species native to Brazil, considered by some authors as a species complex. For this purpose, mitotic and meiotic analyzes will be done to obtain patterns of constitutive heterochromatin distribution and Ag-RON marking to identify the number and location of the nucleoli organizing regions. In addition, we intend to isolate and map the 18S and/or 28S, snDNA U2 and telomeric sequences using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique. Specimen both sexes of the species L. palmipes and L. catesbeianus will be analyzed. The information to be obtained may help to solve taxonomic issues, mainly regarding the suggestions of the occurrence of cryptic species currently known as L. palmiers.