ABSTRACT
Vespertilionidae is the largest chiropteran family that comprises species of different specialization and wide geographic distribution. Up to now, only a few vespertilionid species have been studied by molecular cytogenetic approaches. Here, we have investigated the karyotypic relationships of 4 Vespertilionidae species from Siberia by G-banding and comparative chromosome painting. Painting probes from Aselliscus stoliczkanus were used to establish interspecific homologous chromosomal segments in Myotis dasycneme (2n = 44), Murina hilgendorfi (2n = 44), Plecotus auritus (2n = 32), and Vespertilio murinus (2n = 38). Robertsonian translocations and a few inversions differentiated the karyotypes of the examined species. Painting of P. auritus karyotype with human probes revealed 3 previously undetected cryptic segments homologous to human chromosomes (Homo sapiens, HSA) 8, 15, and 19, respectively. As a consequence, the existence of 2 HSA 4 + 8 syntenies in the P. auritus karyotype has been proven. In addition, a pericentric inversion or centromere shift was revealed on the smallest metacentric P. auritus chromosome 16/17 using the HSA 16 probe explaining the different G-banding pattern in comparison to the homologous Myotis chromosome 16/17.
