Molecular cytogenetics studies in Reichardia tingetana: Physical mapping of heterochromatin, telomere repeats, and 5S and 45S rDNA by 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole and fluorescence in situ hybridization

Molecular cytogenetics studies of A-T-rich regions, telomeres, and 5S and 45S rDNA sites on the chromosomes of Reichardia tingetana Roth (2n = 16; diploid) were done using 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The species were collected from three geographically isolated populations at Borg El Arab (salt marsh habitat), and Rashed and Shosha (sandy clay habitats) in Egypt. The three populations showed the chromosome number of all plants are diploid except for two tetraploid samples from Shosha. Plants from both Rashed and Shosha showed similarity in the distribution of six DAPI bands on six chromosomes, whereas those of Borg El Arab showed a distribution of 16 bands on 14 chromosomes. The FISH signals of the telomeres, and 5S and 45S rDNA, were at the telomeres of all chromosomes, two interstitial, and four terminal, respectively. The combination of DAPI and FISH showed colocalization of the DAPI bands with two 5S and two 45S rDNA loci. The increased number of DAPI bands in the cytotypes from the salt marsh habitat could indicate natural genetic adaptation through increasing the heterochromatin of A-T-rich regions.