Heterochromatin organization in the nucleus of Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak)

Abstract

The heterochromatin in Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) is located at the periphery of primary constrictions of all the chromosomes. The X chromosome contains significantly larger amounts of heterochromatin than the rest of the complement by C-banding technique. However, the small portion of C-band region was found to be resistant by restriction endonuclease HaeIII (5′… GG ↓ CC … 3′) and was clearly visible on the nucleus. Therefore, the position of this large heterochromatic segment is examined at somatic metaphases. The distribution of the heterochromatin of the X chromosome observed in Indian muntjac is contrary to the general pattern observed in other species, i.e., the chromosomes consisting greater amount of heterochromatin are located more peripherally than those with lesser amount. However, the smaller Y chromosome (Y1) is frequently found at the periphery. The present findings suggest that the role of heterochromatin organization in the nucleus vary between different heterochromatic segments of the same species and vary from species to species.Key words: heterochromatin, chromosome, nucleus, metaphase, Muntiacus muntjak.