First report on C-banding, fluorochrome staining and NOR location in holocentric chromosomes of Elasmolomus (Aphanus) sordidus Fabricius, 1787 (Heteroptera, Rhyparochromidae)

Abstract. In spite of various cytogenetic works on suborder Heteroptera, the chromosome organization, function and its evolution in this group is far from being fully understood. Cytologically, the family Rhyparochromidae constitutes a heterogeneous group differing in chromosome numbers. This family possesses XY sex mechanism in the majority of the species with few exceptions. In the present work, multiple banding techniques viz., C-banding, base-specific fluorochromes (DAPI/CMA(3)) and silver nitrate staining have been used to cytologically characterize the chromosomes of the seed plant pest Elasmolomus (Aphanus) sordidus Fabricius, 1787 having 2n=12=8A+2m+XY. One pair of the autosomes was large while three others were of almost equal size. At diplotene, C-banding technique revealed, that three autosomal bivalents show terminal constitutive heterochromatic bands while one medium sized bivalent was euchromatic. Microchromosomes (m-chromosomes) were positively heteropycnotic. After DAPI and CMA(3) staining, all the autosomal bivalents showed equal fluorescence, except CMA(3) positive signals, observed at both telomeric heterochromatic regions of one medium sized autosomal bivalent. Silver nitrate staining further revealed that this chromosome pair carries Nucleolar Organizer Regions (NORs) at the location of CMA(3) positive signals. The X chromosome showed a thick C-band, positive to both DAPI /CMA(3) while Y, otherwise C-negative, was weakly positive to DAPI and negative to CMA(3), m-chromosomes were DAPI bright and CMA(3) dull.