Karyotype, chromosomal characteristics of multiple rDNA clusters and intragenomic variability of ribosomal ITS2 in Caryophyllaeides fennica (Cestoda).

Karyotype and chromosomal characteristics, i.e. number and location of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) clusters, and sequence variation of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) were studied in a monozoic (unsegmented) tapeworm, Caryophyllaeides fennica (Caryophyllidea), using conventional and Ag-staining, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with 18S rDNA probe, and PCR amplification, cloning and sequencing of the complete ribosomal ITS2 spacer. The karyotype of this species was composed of ten pairs of metacentric (m) chromosomes (2n=20). All chromosomes except the pair No. 2 displayed DAPI-positive heterochromatin in centromeric regions. In addition, two distinct interstitial DAPI-positive bands were identified on chromosome pair No. 7. FISH with 18S rDNA probe revealed four clusters of major ribosomal genes situated in the pericentromeric region of the short arms in two pairs of metacentric chromosomes Nos. 8 and 9. Hybridization signals were stronger in the pair No. 8, indicating a higher amount of rDNA repeats at this nucleolar organizer region (NOR). Analysis of 15 ITS2 rDNA sequences (five recombinant clones from each of three individuals) showed 13 structurally different ribotypes, distinguished by 26 nucleotide substitutions and variable numbers and combinations of short repetitive motifs that allowed sorting the sequences into four ITS2 variants. These results contribute to recently published evidence for the intraindividual ribosomal ITS sequence variability in basal tapeworms with multiple rDNA loci and imply that both phenomena may be mutually linked.