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Review
. 2014 Jun;123(3):201-16.
doi: 10.1007/s00412-014-0456-y. Epub 2014 Mar 25.

Tracing the evolution of amniote chromosomes

Janine E Deakin  1 , Tariq Ezaz
Affiliations
Review

Tracing the evolution of amniote chromosomes

Janine E Deakin et al. Chromosoma. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

A great deal of diversity in chromosome number and arrangement is observed across the amniote phylogeny. Understanding how this diversity is generated is important for determining the role of chromosomal rearrangements in generating phenotypic variation and speciation. Gaining this understanding is achieved by reconstructing the ancestral genome arrangement based on comparisons of genome organization of extant species. Ancestral karyotypes for several amniote lineages have been reconstructed, mainly from cross-species chromosome painting data. The availability of anchored whole genome sequences for amniote species has increased the evolutionary depth and confidence of ancestral reconstructions from those made solely from chromosome painting data. Nonetheless, there are still several key lineages where the appropriate data required for ancestral reconstructions is lacking. This review highlights the progress that has been made towards understanding the chromosomal changes that have occurred during amniote evolution and the reconstruction of ancestral karyotypes.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Amniote phylogeny showing haploid karyotypes for representative species. The range of haploid chromosomes numbers for each lineage are indicated on the branches (Christidis ; Hayman ; O’Brien et al. ; Olmo and Signorino ; Valenzuela and Adams 2011). Microchromosomes are indicated in dark grey. The sex chromosomes present in the homogametic sex are shown for representative species and alternatives present in each lineage are indicated. TSD temperature sex determination
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Homology identified in representative species across different avian lineages and outgroups (crocodile and turtle) using cross-species chromosome painting with probes derived from chicken chromosomes 1 to 9 (depicted by different colours). The predicted ancestral avian karyotype is indicated (Griffin et al. 2007). Chromosome homology was sourced from: T .s. elegans and C. niloticus (Kasai et al. 2012); D. novaehollandiae (Shetty et al. 1999); A. sponsa, F. atra and S. atricapilla (Nanda et al. 2011); C. livia (Derjusheva et al. 2004); P. perspicillata (de Oliveira et al. 2008); F. columbarius (Nishida et al. 2008); A. roseicollis (Nanda et al. 2007). m microchromosome
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Predicted ancestral karyotypes for mammals, colour-coded for homology to human chromosomes
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Comparison of gene arrangement between the tammar wallaby, Tasmanian devil and grey short-tailed opossum for conserved segments C1 to C6. Modified from Deakin et al. (2012a, b)
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