Comparative Repeatomics Uncovers Genome Diversification in Gasteropelecidae Fishes.
- 1Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, SP, Brazil.
- 2Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, 07747 Jena, Germany.
Abstract
Repetitive DNA contributes to genome and chromosome evolution, yet its diversification remains poorly characterized by Neotropical fishes. Gasteropelecidae provides an informative system because its three genera share an ancient ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system despite lineage-specific W chromosome differentiation. Here, we characterized and compared the repeatomes of three Gasteropelecidae species to investigate how repetitive DNA diversification relates to genome and chromosome evolution. We analyzed Carnegiella strigata, Gasteropelecus levis, and Thoracocharax stellatus, with Triportheus auritus as a comparative lineage. Despite ~30-40 Myr of divergence, Gasteropelecidae species showed remarkably conserved repeatome composition, with repetitive DNA accounting for ~25-32% of their genomes and consistently dominated by retroelements. In contrast, T. auritus displayed a distinct repeatome composition, with DNA transposons representing the most abundant annotated repeat class. Satellitomes were more dynamic: 62% of the 235 identified satDNA families showed homology across taxa, consistent with differential amplification of shared satellite sequences. G. levis exhibited 19 female-biased satDNA families, whereas FISH mapping in T. stellatus provided direct cytogenetic evidence of W chromosome enrichment for specific satDNAs. Thus, conserved genome-wide repeat landscapes coexist with rapid satellitome diversification, with lineage-specific satDNA amplification potentially contributing to W chromosome differentiation while the ancestral ZZ/ZW system remains conserved.
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BibTeX
@article{veiga2026comparative,
title = {{Comparative Repeatomics Uncovers Genome Diversification in Gasteropelecidae Fishes.}},
author = {Pablo Rhuan Silva Veiga and Jhon Alex Dziechciarz Vidal and Thomas Liehr and Marcelo de Bello Cioffi},
journal = {International journal of molecular sciences},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27198720},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883964},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comparative Repeatomics Uncovers Genome Diversification in Gasteropelecidae Fishes.
AU - Pablo Rhuan Silva Veiga
AU - Jhon Alex Dziechciarz Vidal
AU - Thomas Liehr
AU - Marcelo de Bello Cioffi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
JO - International journal of molecular sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27198720
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883964
AB - Repetitive DNA contributes to genome and chromosome evolution, yet its diversification remains poorly characterized by Neotropical fishes. Gasteropelecidae provides an informative system because its three genera share an ancient ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system despite lineage-specific W chromosome differentiation. Here, we characterized and compared the repeatomes of three Gasteropelecidae species to investigate how repetitive DNA diversification relates to genome and chromosome evolution. We analyzed Carnegiella strigata, Gasteropelecus levis, and Thoracocharax stellatus, with Triportheus auritus as a comparative lineage. Despite ~30-40 Myr of divergence, Gasteropelecidae species showed remarkably conserved repeatome composition, with repetitive DNA accounting for ~25-32% of their genomes and consistently dominated by retroelements. In contrast, T. auritus displayed a distinct repeatome composition, with DNA transposons representing the most abundant annotated repeat class. Satellitomes were more dynamic: 62% of the 235 identified satDNA families showed homology across taxa, consistent with differential amplification of shared satellite sequences. G. levis exhibited 19 female-biased satDNA families, whereas FISH mapping in T. stellatus provided direct cytogenetic evidence of W chromosome enrichment for specific satDNAs. Thus, conserved genome-wide repeat landscapes coexist with rapid satellitome diversification, with lineage-specific satDNA amplification potentially contributing to W chromosome differentiation while the ancestral ZZ/ZW system remains conserved.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -