search
for
 About Bioline  All Journals  Testimonials  Membership  News


Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz
ISSN: 1678-8060 EISSN: 1678-8060
Vol. 91, Num. 4, 1996, pp. 515-518
Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 91(4), pp. 515-518. Jul/Aug 1996
Received 31 October 1995. Accepted 8 February 1996

Chromosome Numbers in the Triatominae (Hemiptera- Reduviidae):

a Review

Francisco Panzera^+, Ruben Perez*, Sonia Hornos*, Yanina Panzera, Rosario Cestau*, Veronica Delgado, Paula Nicolini

Seccion Genetica Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Tristan Narvaja 1674, 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay *Departamento de Genetica, Facultad de Medicina, General Flores 2125, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay
^+Corresponding author. E-mail: panzera@ibiol.edu.uy.

Code Number: OC96098
Size of Files:
    Text: 14.9K
    Graphics: No associated graphics files

[TABLES AND FIGURES AT END OF TEXT]

The chromosome numbers of 46 out of the 122 currently recognized species of Triatominae (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) are summarized. We present the number of autosomes, the sex mechanism and the first reference for each karyotype.

Key words: Chagas disease - cytogenetics - holocentric chromosomes -Triatominae

The subfamily Triatominae (Hemiptera-Reduviidae) includes 122 species of hematophagous insects and is divided into five tribes and 15 genera. Schofield (1994) lists 118 species of Triatominae, to which should now be added Belminus laportei (Lent et al. 1995), Rhodnius stali (Lent et al. 1993), Triatoma melanosoma (Lent et al. 1994), and T. gomeznunezi (Martinez et al. 1994).

Triatomines present holocentric chromosomes, which do not have a morphologically differentiated centromere. This feature, together with their small size, hindered the progress in studies of their cytogenetics, which, for a long time, were restricted to descriptions of chromosome number and sex mechanism with conventional staining.

In spite of their medical importance as vectors of Chagas disease, chromosomal studies are limited to a small number of species. Previous revisions reported the chromosome complements (haploid and diploid) of 29 species (Ueshima 1966, 1979). The purpose of this report is to summarize the chromosome numbers of the 46 cytogenetically studied species up to date (Table). Four of them are described for the first time in this paper (Rhodnius pallescens, Triatoma melanosoma, T. picturata and T. tibiamaculata).

Table shows that triatomines have a high chromosomal homogeneity. The most common number of autosomes (A) is 20, with only three exceptions: Triatoma nitida and Panstrongylus megistus (both with 18 A) and T.rubrofasciata (22 A). Three sex mechanisms are found in the males: XY (25 species), X1X2Y (19 species) and X1X2X3Y (2 species). In order to verify these multiple sex mechanisms it would be necessary to confirm them in females.

At present, species differentiation (Perez et al. 1992), intraspecific variations (Panzera et al. 1992) and evolutionary relationships (Panzera et al. 1995) can all be better studied with the aid of banding techniques and the detailed analysis of meiotic chromosome behaviour. This cytogenetic approach is a useful tool for clarifying taxonomic uncertainties, particularly in those groups of epidemiological importance. These studies may allow the differentiation of morphologically similar species such as those belonging to the phyllosoma complex and sordida group. On the other hand, different populations within a given species can be identified. This could be the case for T. brasiliensis and T. infestans from Bolivia, where sylvatic and domestic populations may be distinguished on the basis of their cytogenetic differences.

Acknowledgements

To Dr J Jurberg (Laboratorio Nacional e Interna-cional de Referencia em Taxonomia de Triatomineos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil) for providing many species studied here. To Dr C Schofield and JP Dujardin for their valuable comments on the manuscript.

This research is sponsored by CSIC, CONICYT, PEDECIBA (Uruguay), equipment donation to the Government of Japan and European Communities grants (TS3*CT 91-0029, TS3*CT 92-0092, TS3*CT 92-0130).

References

Barth R 1956. Estudos anatamicos e histologicos sobre a subfamilia Triatominae (Heteroptera, Reduviidae). VI parte: Estudo comparativo sobre a espermiocitogenese das especies mais importantes. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 54: 599-616.

Koshy TK 1979a. Chromosomes of Triatominae I: Haploid Karyotypes of three species in the genus Rhodnius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Acta Cient Venezolana 30: 183-190.

Koshy TK 1979b. Chromosomes of Triatominae II: Karyotypes studies of five species in the genus Rhodnius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Acta Cient Venezolana 30: 191- 195.

Koshy TK 1979c. Chromosomes of Triatominae III: Karyotypes studies of Triatoma pallidipennis (Hemiptera:Reduvidae). Acta Cient Venezolana 30: 196- 198.

Lent H, Jurberg J, Galv o C 1993. Rhodnius stali n. sp., afim de Rhodnius pictipes Stal, 1872 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae). Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 88: 605-614.

Lent H, Jurberg J, Galv o C, Carcavallo RU 1994. Triatoma melanosoma, novo status para Triatoma infestans melanosoma Martinez, Olmeda & Carcavallo, 1987 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae). Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 89: 353-358.

Lent H, Jurberg J, Carcavallo RU 1995. Belminus laportei sp.n. da Regi o Amazonica (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae). Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 90: 33-39.

Manna GK 1950. Multiple sex chromosome mechanism in a reduviid bug Conorhinus rubrofasciata (De Geer). Proc Zool Soc Bengal 3: 155-161.

Martinez A, Carcavallo RU, Jurberg J 1994. Triatoma gomeznunezi a new species of Triatomini from Mexico (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae). Entomologia y Vectores 1, 15-19.

Panzera F, Alvarez F, Sanchez-Rufas J, Perez R, Suja JA, Scvortzoff E, Dujardin JP, Estramil E, Salvatella R 1992. C- heterochromatin polymorphism in holocentric chromosomes of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera-Reduviidae). Genome 35:1068-1074.

Panzera F, Hornos S, Cestau R, Panzera Y, Perez R 1994. Comparative cytogenetic analysis of four mexican species of triatomines (Hemiptera-Reduviidae). Abst XI Latinoamer Congr of Genetics, Mexico, 330.

Panzera F, Perez R, Panzera Y, Alvarez F, Scvortzoff E, Salvatella R 1995. Karyotype evolution in holocentric chromosomes of three related species of triatomines (Hemiptera-Reduviidae). Chromosome Research 3: 143- 150.

Panzera Y, Panzera F, Salvatella R 1991. Analisis cromosomico de Panstrongylus tupynambai Lent 1942 (Hemiptera- Reduviidae). Abst. X Latinoamer. Congr. Parasitology, Uruguay, p. 206.

Payne F 1909. Some new types of chromosome distribution and their relation to sex. Biol Bull 16: 119-166.

Perez R, Panzera Y, Scafiezzo S, Mazzella MC, Panzera F, Dujardin JP, Scvortzoff E 1992. Cytogenetics as a tool for triatomine species distinction (Hemiptera-Reduviidae). Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 87: 353-361.

Rebagliati P, Mola L, Papeschi A, Wisnivesky-Colli C 1995. Similitud citogenetica entre Triatoma sordida y T. guasayana. Abst. XXVI Cong. Arg. Genetics, Argentina, p. 233

Schofield CJ 1994. Triatominae. Biologia y control. UK: Eurocomunica Publications, 77 pp.

Schofield CJ, Apt W, Sagua H, Panzera F, Dujardin JP 1996. Alary polymorphism in Triatoma spinolai, and its possible relationship with demographic strategy. Med Vet Entomol submitted.

Schreiber G, Pellegrino J 1950. Eteropicnosi di autosomi come possible meccanismo di speciazione (Ricerche citologiche su alcuni Emitteri neotropici). Sci Genet 3: 215-226.

Schreiber G, Carvalho HC, Espinola HN 1967. Genetics of Triatoma and other vector species, p. 441-456. In JW Wright & R Pal Genetics of Insect vectors of Disease, Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Schreiber G, Bogliolo AR, Coelho de Pinho A 1972. Cytogenetics of Triatominae: Caryotype, DNA content, nuclear size and heteropycnosis of autosomes. Rev Brasil Biol 32: 255- 263.

Scvortzoff E, Panzera F, Perez R, Alvarez F, Mazzella MC, Panzera Y, Hornos S, Martinez M, Salvatella R 1996. Citogenetica de Triatominos. In R Carcavallo. Atlas de Triatominos de America. Argentine. In press.

Ueshima N 1966. Cytotaxonomy of the Triatominae (Reduviidae: Hemiptera). Chromosoma 18: 97-122.

Ueshima N 1979. Insecta 6. Hemiptera II. Heteroptera, p. 117. In B John, Animal Cytogenetics. Gebruder Borntraeger, Berlin, Stuttgart.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Table.  Chromosome numbers reported in the subfamily
Triatominae
---------------------------------------------------------- 
  Species                  2n             First reference
-------------------------------------------------------------
Tribu: Rhodniini

Psammolestes coreodes  22m=20A+XY        Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
Rhodnius ecuadoriensis 22m=20A+XY        Scvortzoff et al.1996 
R. nasutus             22m=20A+XY        Perez et al. 1992
R. neglectus           22m=20A+XY        Barth 1956
                       22f=20A+XX        Koshy 1979a
R. neivai              22m=20A+XY        Koshy 1979b
                       22f=20A+XX        Koshy 1979a
R. pallescens          22m=20A+XY        This report
R. pictipes            22m=20A+XY        Perez et al. 1992
                       22f=20A+XX        Koshy 1979a
R. prolixus            22m=20A+XY        Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
                       22f=20A+XX        Koshy 1979a
R. robustus            22m=20A+XY        Koshy 1979b
                       22m=20A+XX        Koshy 1979a

Tribu: Triatomini

Dipetalogaster maximus 22m=20A+XY        Ueshima 1966
Mepraia spinolai       23m=20A+X1X2Y     Schofield et al.1996  
                       24f=20A+X1X1X2X2  Schofield et al.1996  
Panstrongylus herrer   23m=20A+X1X2Y     Ueshima 1966
P. megistus            21m=18A+X1X2Y     Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
P. tupynambai          23m=20A+X1X2Y     Panzera et al. 1991
Paratriatoma hirsuta   22m=20A+XY        Ueshima 1966
                       22f=20A+XX        Ueshima 1966
Triatoma barberi       23m=20A+X1X2Y     Ueshima 1966
                       24f=20A+X1X1X2X2  Ueshima 1966
T. brasiliensis        22m=20A+XY        Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
                       22f=20A+XX        Schreiber et al.1967  
T. circummaculata      22m=20A+XY        Scvortzoff et al.1996 
T. delpontei           22m=20A+XY        Ueshima 1966
                       22m=20A+XX        Panzera et al. 1995
T. dimidiata^a         22m=20A+XY        Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
                       23f=20A+X1X2Y     Panzera et al. 1994
T. eratyrusiformis     24m=20A+X1X2X3Y   Ueshima 1966
T. gerstaeckeri        23m=20A+X1X2Y     Ueshima 1966
T. guasayana           22m=20A+XY        Rebagliati et al.1995
T. infestans           22m=20A+XY        Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
                       22f=20A+XX        Schreiber et al. 1967
T. lecticularia        22m=20A+XY        Ueshima 1966
                       22f=20A+XX        Ueshima 1966
T. longipennis         23m=20A+X1X2Y     Panzera et al. 1994
T. maculata            22m=20A+XY        Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
                       22f=20A+XX        Schreiber et al. 1967
T. matogrossensis      22m=20A+XY        Perez et al. 1992
T. mazzottii           23m=20A+X1X2Y     Panzera et al. 1994
T. melanosoma          22m=20A+XY        This report
                       22f=20A+XX        This report
T. nitida              21m=18A+X1X2Y     Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
T. patagonica          22m=20A+XY        Ueshima 1966
T. pallidipennis^a     23m=20A+X1X2Y     Ueshima 1966, Panzera 
                                          et al. 1994
                       22m=20A+XY        Koshy 1979c
T. peninsularis        23m=20A+X1X2Y     Ueshima 1966
                       24f=20A+X1X1X2X2  Ueshima 1966
T. picturata           23m=20A+X1X2Y     This report
T. platensis           22m=20A+XY        Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
                       22f=20A+XX        Panzera et al. 1995
T. protracta           23m=20A+X1X2Y     Ueshima 1966
                       24f=20A+X1X1X2X2  Ueshima 1966
T. pseudomaculata      22m=20A+XY        Schreiber et al. 1972
T. rubida              23m=20A+X1X2Y     Ueshima 1966
                       24m=20A+X1X1X2X2  Ueshima 1966
T. rubrofasciata       25m=22A+X1X2Y     Manna 1950
T. rubrovaria          22m=20A+XY        Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
                       22m=20A+XX        Scvortzoff et al.1996
T. sanguisuga          23m=20A+X1X2Y     Payne 1909
T. sinaloensis         23m=20A+X1X2Y     Ueshima 1966
                       24f=20A+X1X1X2X2  Ueshima 1966
T. sordida             22m=20A+XY        Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
                       22f=20A+XX        Schreiber et al. 1967
T. tibiamaculata       23m=20A+X1X2Y     This report
                       24f=20A+X1X1X2X2  This report
T. vitticeps           24m=20A+X1X2X3Y   Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950
                    6f=20A+X1X1X2X2X3X3  Schreiber &           
                                          Pellegrino 1950

A: autosomes
m: male
f: female
a: two different sex mechanisms are reported for the same
species. Analysis of individuals (males and females) from
natural populations over the whole distribution range is
necessary to clarify chromosomal data.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 1996 Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz

Home Faq Resources Email Bioline
© Bioline International, 1989 - 2024, Site last up-dated on 01-Sep-2022.
Site created and maintained by the Reference Center on Environmental Information, CRIA, Brazil
System hosted by the Google Cloud Platform, GCP, Brazil