Cytogenetic Characteristics of Microtus Daghestanicus (Rodentia: Arvicolinae) from Northeast Anatolia, Türkiye: Conventional Karyotype, C-Banding

Abstract

In this study, the standard karyotype and the C-band features of chromosomes of the Microtus daghestanicus species have been determined, and the karyological characteristics among closely related species have been compared. The diploid chromosome number of M. daghestanicus was found as 2n=54, NFa=54. M. daghestanicus karyotype has a pair of small metacentric and 25 pairs of different sizes of acrocentric chromosomes. The x chromosome is a large submetacentric. Positive C-bands are in the pericentromeric region of acrocentric autosomal chromosomes. Additionally, there is a heterochromatin block in the pair of small metacentric chromosomes. Moreover, there is a wide interstitial heterochromatin block on the long arm of the X chromosome.