Cytogenetics in Wildlife Conservation

Flashcards about cytogenetics and its application in wildlife conservation research.

What is cytogenetics?

The study of the structure and function of the cell with regards to chromosomes.

What was Walther Fleming's contribution to cytogenetics in 1882?

Salamander chromosomes were described using dyes to identify chromatin in the cell nucleus and discover mitosis.

What happens to chromosomes during mitosis?

Each chromosome duplicates itself to form two chromatids joined at the centromere and become visible under a light microscope.

What are the key steps in metaphase spread preparation?

Cell culture and chromosome staining.

Name some cytogenetic techniques.

Banding, Fluorescent in situ hybridisation, Gene mapping with FISH , Fibre FISH, Chromosome painting, Comparative genomic hybridisation, Next generation techniques.

What chromosomes are studied in Zoo-FISH?

Chicken chromosomes 1-9 and Z were used to see how the chicken chromosomes map to the African grey parrot chromosomes in a metaphase spread.

Name some types of chromosomal aberrations.

Numerical changes (Polyploidy, aneuploidy) and Structural rearrangements (Deletions, Duplications, Inversions, Translocations, Somatic mosaicism).

How can karyotypes and other cytogenetic techniques be used in conservation?

Species determination, Identifying hybridisation, Understanding genome evolution and species relationships.

What is the centromere?

the region of the chromosome where microtubules of the spindle attach during cell division

What chromosomal differences were found within rock wallabies?

Differences in chromosome structure and/or number, which can indicate different species and subspecies.

List examples of rock wallabies with different chromosome structures.

Petrogale persephone (2n=22), Petrogale celeris (2n=22), Petrogale inorta (2n=22), Petrogale burbidgei (2n=16), Petrogale brachyotis (2n=18), Petrogale godmani godmani (2n=20).

What did Sally Potter and Mark Eldridge find about gene flow among rock wallaby species?

The degree of chromosome differences does not always correlate with the amount of gene flow between species.