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Bioindicator potential of cytogenetic variability in polytene chromosomes of chironomids (Diptera, Chironomidae) to assess environmental pollution

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Abstract

The study of variability of polytene chromosomes of Chironomids in water with different factors of pollution is given in the article. Special attention is drawn towards the reaction of Chironomid genome affected by radiation of Chernobyl region and heavy metals. Two types of reorganizations are discussed: inherited chromosomes, transmitted from year to year, from population to population, and somatic rare chromosomes covering small regions and influencing the duration of life of one generation. In polytene chromosomes, there are unique transcribing structures: nucleolar organizer (NOR) and Balbiani rings (BRs), which are significant for cell functioning. Functional alternations of these structures affected by radiation and chemical pollution are considered. The influence of mobile elements and repetitive DNA sequences on genome instability is explained. The genome alteration of a population can be considered adaptive, since it was necessary for species preservation during pollution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, ul. Gagarin 2, Sofia, 1113, Bulgaria

    P. Michailova

  2. Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Universitetskaya 1, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia

    N. Petrova

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  1. P. Michailova
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  2. N. Petrova
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Correspondence to P. Michailova.

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Original Russian Text © P. Michailova, N. Petrova, 2015, published in Tsitologiya i Genetika, 2015, Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 61–70.

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Michailova, P., Petrova, N. Bioindicator potential of cytogenetic variability in polytene chromosomes of chironomids (Diptera, Chironomidae) to assess environmental pollution. Cytol. Genet. 49, 262–269 (2015). https://doi.org/10.3103/S0095452715040064

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S0095452715040064

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