Chromosomal Mapping of Transposable Elements of the Rex Family in the Bristlenose Catfish, Ancistrus (Siluriformes, Loricariidae), from the Amazonian Region

Repetitive DNA sequences are present in the genome of basically every known organism, and transposable elements (TE) are one of the most representative sequences involved in chromosomal rearrangements and the genomic evolution of eukaryotes. In fish, the non-LTR retrotransposon TEs, Rex1, Rex3, and Rex6, are widely distributed in fish genomes and are the best-characterized TEs in several species. In the current study, three of these retroelements were physically mapped, through fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), in 7 species (71 specimens) of the genus Ancistrus, known as bristlenose catfish: Ancistrus ranunculus, Ancistrus sp. 1 Purus, Ancistrus sp. 2 Catalao, Ancistrus dolichopterus, Ancistrus maximus, Ancistrus aff. dolichopterus, and Ancistrus dubius. Rex1, Rex3, and Rex6 showed a cluster distribution, mainly in the terminal and pericentromeric portions, in heterochromatic and euchromatic regions, and did not occur in sexual chromosomes; however, the number and position of the clusters varied between species. This TE distribution suggests its implication in the karyotypic evolution of these species, without affecting the rise of sexual chromosome systems in Ancistrus, in view of their chromosomal variation.