C- and NOR stained karyotypes of mole rat, Nannospalax xanthodon (2n = 54) from Kırıkkale, Turkey

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.