[Molecular karyotyping of eukaryotic microorganisms]

Abstract

In many fungi and protists small size and weak morphological differentiation of chromosomes embarrass the study of karyotypes using microscopical tools. Molecular karyotyping based on the fractionation of intact chromosomal DNAs by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) provides an alternative approach to the analysis of chromosomal sets in such organisms. To assign the bands observed in PFGE gel to the individual chromosomes the following methods of chromosome identification are applied: densitometric analysis of the bands; Southern hybridization with chromosome- and telomere-specific probes, which often is combined with comparative karyotyping of a series of strains with pronounced size polymorphism of chromosomes; comparison of the patterns of restriction fragments of chromosomal DNAs fractioned by KARD 2-D PFGE; comparison with the strains with well-studied interchromosomal rearrangements. Besides estimation of the number and the size of chromosomes, molecular karyotyping allows assessment of haploid genome size and ploidy level, study of genome dynamics, identification of chromosomal rearrangements and associated chromosomal polymorphism. The analysis of karyotype and dynamics of the genomes is important for the study of intra- and interspecial variability, investigation of the chromosome evolution in closely related species and elaboration of the models of speciation. The comparison of molecular karyotypes among isolates of different origin is of great practical importance for clinical diagnostics and for agricultural microbiology. In this review we discuss: 1) the methods of karyotyping and their application to the analysis of chromosomal sets in eukaryotic microorganisms; 2) the specificity of the methods used for extraction and fractionation of intact chromosomal DNAs; 3) the reasons for difficulties in interpretation of molecular karyotypes and the ways of their overcoming; 4) fields of application of molecular karyotyping; 5) the definition of "molecular karyotype" formulated in accordance with modern methodological requirements.