Characterization of Satellite DNAs in Squirrel Monkeys genus Saimiri (Cebidae, Platyrrhini)

Mirela Pelizaro Valeri,Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda,Guilherme Borges Dias,Roscoe Stanyon,Gustavo Campos E Silva Kuhn,Marta Svartman,Camila Nascimento Moreira

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64620-1

Mirela Pelizaro Valeri, Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-64620-1

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Abstract

The genus Saimiri is a decades-long taxonomic and phylogenetic puzzle to which cytogenetics has contributed crucial data. All Saimiri species apparently have a diploid number of 2n = 44 but vary in the number of chromosome arms. Repetitive sequences such as satellite DNAs are potentially informative cytogenetic markers because they display high evolutionary rates. Our goal is to increase the pertinent karyological data by more fully characterizing satellite DNA sequences in the Saimiri genus. We were able to identify two abundant satellite DNAs, alpha (~340 bp) and CapA (~1,500 bp), from short-read clustering of sequencing datasets from S. boliviensis. The alpha sequences comprise about 1% and the CapA 2.2% of the S. boliviensis genome. We also mapped both satellite DNAs in S. boliviensis, S. sciureus, S. vanzolinii, and S. ustus. The alpha has high interspecific repeat homogeneity and was mapped to the centromeres of all analyzed species. CapA is associated with non-pericentromeric heterochromatin and its distribution varies among Saimiri species. We conclude that CapA genomic distribution and its pervasiveness across Platyrrhini makes it an attractive cytogenetic marker for Saimiri and other New World monkeys.

Highlights

Cytogenetic studies consistently showed that all Saimiri have a diploid number of 2n = 44, but can differ in fundamental numbers (FN, the number of chromosome arms) which range from 74 to 7812
The specimens identified as S. sciureus (SSC782, SSC770 and SSC2) had a FN = 74 and both pairs 5 and 15 were acrocentric
The alpha satellite DNAs (satDNAs) comprises ~1% of the S. boliviensis genome and its ~340 bp monomer length was confirmed in all four Saimiri species

Summary

Introduction

Differences in FN in Saimiri were previously thought to be the result of pericentric inversions and reciprocal translocations[14,15,16] but recently Chiatante et al.[12], using high-resolution BAC-FISH analysis, showed that centromere repositioning explains differences in FN in Saimiri These authors, did not address the taxonomic issue within the genus. A class of markers that can be used to study karyotype evolution and address taxonomic issues is satellite DNAs (satDNAs) These sequences consist of tandem repeats organized in large arrays (up to Mb size) typically associated with chromosome landmarks such as centromeres, telomeres, and heterochromatic regions [e.g.17–19, Species S. boliviensis S. sciureus S. sciureus S. sciureus S. vanzolinii S. vanzolinii S. ustus S. ustus S. ustus S. ustus S. ustus S. ustus. CapA is a satDNA present only in NWMs, with ~1,500 bp monomer length and was found in the three Platyrrhini families, with different chromosome localization and abundance varying from less than 1% up to 5%17,30,31

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