Abstract
Passerine birds have a supernumerary chromosome in their germ cells called the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC). The GRC was first discovered more than two decades ago in zebra finch but recent studies have suggested that it is likely present in all passerines, the most species rich avian order, encompassing more than half of all modern bird species. Despite its wide taxonomic distribution, studies on this chromosome are still scarce and limited to a few species. Here, we cytogenetically analyzed the GRC in five closely related estrildid finch species of the genus Lonchura. We show that the GRC varies enormously in size, ranging from a tiny micro-chromosome to one of the largest macro-chromosomes in the cell, not only among recently diverged species but also within species and sometimes even between germ cells of a single individual. In Lonchura atricapilla, we also observed variation in GRC copy number among male germ cells of a single individual. Finally, our analysis of hybrids between two Lonchura species with noticeably different GRC size directly supported maternal inheritance of the GRC. Our results reveal the extraordinarily dynamic nature of the GRC, which might be caused by frequent gains and losses of sequences on this chromosome leading to substantial differences in genetic composition of the GRC between and even within species. Such differences might theoretically contribute to reproductive isolation between species and thus accelerate the speciation rate of passerine birds compared to other bird lineages.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Alexander Suh, Anna Torgasheva, Wolfgang Forstmeier, and other members of their laboratories for very inspiring discussions about the GRC.
Funding
This research was funded by the Grant Agency of Charles University (grant 1264120 to MS-M), the Czech Science Foundation (grant 20-23794S to RR and TA), and the Charles University grant PRIMUS/19/SCI/008 to RR. The participation of DD and KJ was funded by Institutional Research Concept RVO67985904.
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RR, TA, and MS-M designed the experiment. TA and OK performed breeding of the Lonchura species and dissected the birds. MS-M, MP, and DD carried out the cytogenetic experiments. MS-M did the microscopic work and analyzed the photos. MS-M and KJ performed the phylogenetic analysis. MS-M, RR, MP and SS interpreted the data. MS-M and RR wrote the manuscript with feedback from all the other authors.
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The present work with birds followed the Czech law on protection of animals (law no. 246/1992 Sb.) and was approved by the ethical committee of the Charles University (permission no: UKPRF/28830/2021).
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Sotelo-Muñoz, M., Poignet, M., Albrecht, T. et al. Germline-restricted chromosome shows remarkable variation in size among closely related passerine species. Chromosoma 131, 77–86 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00412-022-00771-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00412-022-00771-6