<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The study describes a karyotype of a common parasite of cervids, the giant liver fluke, Fascioloides magna (Trematoda, Platyhelminthes). The chromosome set of F. magna comprises 11 pairs of chromosomes, all classified as subtelocentric except for the submeta-metacentric pair No. 8 and the submetacentric pair No. 10 (2n = 22, n = 1sm + 1sm-m + 9st). The first longest pair is 4.65 μm long and the length decreases continuously to the 1.92 μm length of the last pair No. 11. No distinct secondary constriction has been observed in mitotic preparations. Fluorescent DAPI-staining reveals distinct heterochromatin bands on all 11 chromosome pairs in the centromeric regions; another DAPI-positive bands are localized at the end of the long arms of chromosomes No. 5 and the last less distinct signals appear interstitially on the long arms of the pair No. 6. Synchronous meiotic divisions of 8-spermatocyte groups have been observed during spermatogenesis, similarly with a development of spermatocytes in other trematodes. In the first two stages of heterotypic spermatocyte division, 11 bivalents (n = 11) are regularly observed, confirming the diploid number of 22 elements. Furthermore, the present analysis summarises and discusses available cytogenetic data on Fasciolidae flukes suitable for future studies on taxonomy or phylogenetic interrelationships within the family.</p></abstract>

The study describes a karyotype of a common parasite of cervids, the giant liver fluke, Fascioloides magna (Trematoda, Platyhelminthes). The chromosome set of F. magna comprises 11 pairs of chromosomes, all classified as subtelocentric except for the submeta-metacentric pair No. 8 and the submetacentric pair No. 10 (2n = 22, n = 1sm + 1sm-m + 9st). The first longest pair is 4.65 μm long and the length decreases continuously to the 1.92 μm length of the last pair No. 11. No distinct secondary constriction has been observed in mitotic preparations. Fluorescent DAPI-staining reveals distinct heterochromatin bands on all 11 chromosome pairs in the centromeric regions; another DAPI-positive bands are localized at the end of the long arms of chromosomes No. 5 and the last less distinct signals appear interstitially on the long arms of the pair No. 6. Synchronous meiotic divisions of 8-spermatocyte groups have been observed during spermatogenesis, similarly with a development of spermatocytes in other trematodes. In the first two stages of heterotypic spermatocyte division, 11 bivalents (n = 11) are regularly observed, confirming the diploid number of 22 elements. Furthermore, the present analysis summarises and discusses available cytogenetic data on Fasciolidae flukes suitable for future studies on taxonomy or phylogenetic interrelationships within the family.

A description of karyotype of the giant liver fluke Fascioloides magna (Trematoda, Platyhelminthes) and a review of Fasciolidae cytogenetics

Parasitological Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovak Republic

Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre ASCR, Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 20, 060 53, Zvolen, Slovakia

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The study describes a karyotype of a common parasite of cervids, the giant liver fluke, Fascioloides magna (Trematoda, Platyhelminthes). The chromosome set of...

A description of karyotype of the giant liver fluke Fascioloides magna (Trematoda, Platyhelminthes) and a review of Fasciolidae cytogenetics

Published Online: May 26, 2010

Page range: 69 - 75

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11687-010-0012-0

Keywords
fasciolid flukes, chromosome, fluorescent staining, heterochromatin

© 2010 Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A description of karyotype of the giant liver fluke Fascioloides magna (Trematoda, Platyhelminthes) and a review of Fasciolidae cytogenetics

Published Online: May 26, 2010

Page range: 69 - 75

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11687-010-0012-0

Keywordsfasciolid flukes, chromosome, fluorescent staining, heterochromatin

© 2010 Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovakia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
fasciolid flukes, chromosome, fluorescent staining, heterochromatin