Karyotypic Evolution and Chromosomal Organization of Repetitive DNA Sequences in Species of Panaque, Panaqolus, and Scobinancistrus (Siluriformes and Loricariidae) from the Amazon Basin.

Loricariidae family comprises the greatest variability of Neotropical catfish species, with more than 800 valid species. This family shows significant chromosomal diversity. Mapping of repetitive DNA sequences can be very useful in exploring such diversity, especially among groups that appear to share a preserved karyotypic macrostructure. We describe the karyotypes of Panaque armbrusteri and Panaqolus sp., as assessed using classical cytogenetic methods. Moreover, we offer a map of their repetitive sequences, including 18S and 5S ribosomal DNAs, the Rex1 and Rex3 retrotransposons, and the Tc1-mariner transposon in P. armbrusteri, Panaqolus sp., Scobinancistrus aureatus, and Scobinancistrus pariolispos. Those species share chromosome numbers of 2n = 52, but are divergent in their chromosome structures and the distributions of their repetitive DNA sequences. In situ hybridization with 18S and 5S rDNA probes confirms chromosome location in different pairs; in Panaqolus sp. these sites are in synteny. This multigene family organization can be explained by the occurrence of chromosome rearrangements, and possible events, such as transposition and unequal crossing-over. Rex1 and Rex3 retrotransposons and the Tc1-mariner transposon appeared predominantly dispersed and in small clusters in some chromosome regions. These data emphasize the importance of repetitive sequences in promoting the karyotypic evolution of these species.