Intrachromosomal distribution of telomeric repeats in Eumops glaucinus andEumops perotis (Molossidae, Chiroptera)

The location of chromosomal telomeric repeats (TTAGGG)(n) was investigated in two species of the Molossidae family, Eumops glaucinus and Eumops peroti s. The diploid chromosome number (2n) is 40 in E. glaucinus and 48 in E. pe rotis and the fundamental numbers (FN) are 64 and 58, respectively. It has been suggested that the E. glaucinus karyotype has evolved from the E. pero tis karyotype through Robertsonian fusion events. In the present study, the telomeric sequences were detected at the termini of chromosomes in both sp ecies. In addition, E. glaucinus also displayed telomeric repeats in centro meric and pericentromeric regions in almost all biarmed chromosomes. Conver sely, in E. perotis pericentromeric signals were only observed in two biarm ed chromosomes. In both E. glaucinus and E. perotis, such telomeric sequenc es were observed as part of the heterochromatin. The interstitial sites of telomeric sequences suggest that they are remnants of telomeres of ancestra l chromosomes that participated in the fusion event.