Cytogenetic characteristic of East European vole Microtus levis and common pine vole Microtus subterraneus (Mammalia: Rodentia) from Turkey: Constitutive Heterochromatin Distribution

Abstract

In this study, the conventionally stained and C - band characteristics of Microtus levis and Microtus subterraneus species collected from 3 different localities were determined. The karyotype of Microtus levis is 2n=54, NFa=54, NF=56. The chromosome set consists of 25 pairs of acrocentric autosomal chromosomes and one pair of metacentric chromosomes. Acrocentric chromosome pairs of diminishing size prevail in the autosomal set. In the autosomes, distinct C-heterochromatin regions are located in the centromeric areas. Almost a half of the X chromosome and the whole Y chromosome consisted of C - heterochromatin blocks. Microtus subterraneus has two different diploid chromosome numbers in Turkey. The studied karyotype is 2n=54, NFa=56, NF=60. In the karyotype, besides 24 acrocentric autosomal chromosomes of continually diminishing size, there is one pair of submetacentrics. The X chromosome is a submetacentric and there is a wide heterochromatin block on its long arm. The detailed structure of karyotypes and C - banding patterns same from previously published results. © Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2018.