Length and structure of telomeric DNA in three species of Baikal gastropods (Caenogastropoda: Hydrobioidea: Benedictiidae)

• Published in: Russian journal of genetics Vol. 51; no. 3; pp. 300 - 307
• Main Authors: Koroleva, A. G., Evtushenko, E. V., Maximova, N. V., Vershinin, A. V., Sitnikova, T. Y., Kirilchik, S. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.03.2015
• Subjects: Animal Genetics; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Benedictiidae; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Caenogastropoda; Gastropoda; Human Genetics; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Russia, Siberia, Baykal L; Small Shell; Telomeric Sequence; Shell Size; Relative Telomere Length; Telomere Length
• ISSN: 1022-7954; 1608-3369
• DOI: 10.1134/S1022795415030060

The structure of telomeric repeat (TTAGGG) n was determined and the length of telomeric DNA (tDNA) was measured in three species of gastropods from the family Benedictiidae that are endemic to Lake Baikal. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) confirmed the localization of a telomeric repeat at the chromosome ends. The sizes of tDNA in “giant” eurybathic, psammo-pelobiontic species Benedictia fragilis and shallow water litho-psammobiontic species B. baicalensis with medium shell sizes were similar (16 ± 2.9 and 15 ± 2.1 kb, respectively), but they had a greater length than that of the shallow water spongio-litobiontic species Kobeltocochlea martensiana with small shells (10.5 ± 1.5 kb). We discuss tendencies in age-related changes in tDNA length in snails and a possible mechanism for maintaining tDNA size in ontogeny.