In the present study, the 2n = 54 chromosomal race of blind mole rats, Nannospalax xanthodon superspecies, from Kırıkkale Province in Turkey was investigated. Conventional chromosome staining, Ag-NOR (Nucleolus Organizer Region) staining, and C-banding analysis were carried out on specimens of mole rats. | A. ARSLAN, K. TOYRAN, S. GÖZÜTOK, T. YORULMAZ Turk J Biol 35 (2011) 655-661 © TÜBİTAK doi: C- and NOR stained karyotypes of mole rat, Nannospalax xanthodon (2n = 54) from Kırıkkale, Turkey Atilla ARSLAN1, Kubilay TOYRAN2, Serdar GÖZÜTOK3, Tarkan YORULMAZ4 1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Selçuk University, 42031 Konya - TURKEY 2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Bitlis Eren University, 13000 Bitlis - TURKEY 3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Kırıkkale University, 71450 Kırıkkale - TURKEY 4 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı - TURKEY Received: Abstract: In the present study, the 2n = 54 chromosomal race of blind mole rats, Nannospalax xanthodon superspecies, from Kırıkkale Province in Turkey was investigated. Conventional chromosome staining, Ag-NOR (Nucleolus Organizer Region) staining, and C-banding analysis were carried out on specimens of mole rats. The karyotype including 3 metacentric pairs (nos. 1-3), 3 submetacentric pairs (nos. 4-6), 3 subtelocentric pairs (nos. 7-9), and 17 acrocentric pairs (nos. 10-26) of autosomes (NFa = 70). C-heterochromatin regions were found in the centromeric and pericentromeric region and the short arms of some bi-armed autosomal pairs, and C-heterochromatin was localized in pericentromeric areas of a few acrocentric autosomes. The X chromosome has a centromeric C-positive band and the Y chromosome appeared to be uniformly and C-negatively stained. In all of the specimens studied the NORs were localized in distal heterochromatin areas of the short arms of 4 pairs (nos. 4, 5, 8, 9) of biarmed autosomes. Key words: Nannospalax xanthodon, mole rat, karyotype, Kırıkkale, Turkey Kırıkkale’deki kör fare Nannospalax xanthodon (2n = 54)’un C- ve NOR boyalı karyotipleri Özet: Bu çalışmada, Kırıkkale’deki Nannospalax xanthodon üsttürüne ait kör farelerin 2n = 54 kromozomal formu araştırıldı. Kör fare .
