Abstract Book - 4th B Chromosome Conference

Abstract

B chromosomes (Bs) are enigmatic accessory elements to the regular chromosome set (A) and, since their discovery at the beginning of 20th century, Bs have ranked among the main topics of chromosome biology. B chromosome science has advanced from classical (conducted during most of the 20th century) and molecular cytogenetics (conducted from 1990-2010) to genomics and bioinformatics approaches (conducted during the last few years). Recent advances in next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and high-throughput molecular biology protocols have led to B chromosomes becoming the subject of massive data analysis, thus enabling an investigation of structural and functional issues at a level that was previously never considered possible. Therefore, the 4th BCC in Brazil is an excellent opportunity to bring exciting B-chromosome related topics and new technologies together for discussion under the view of the most outstanding chromosome biologists. Furthermore, this meeting will, for the first time, promote an educational activity focused on science and biology teachers in order to highlight methodologies and practical approaches that can be used in chromosome teaching/learning. The importance of B chromosomes is illustrated by the series of conferences on this issue that have been organized during the last three decades - 1st, 2nd and 3rd B Chromosome Conferences - organized in 1993 (Spain), 2004 (Spain), and 2014 (Germany), respectively. The first B Chromosome Conference (BCC) took place in Miraflores de la Sierra (Madrid, Spain) from 21 to 25 of September 1993. The meeting had five sessions including Polymorphisms and geographic distribution, Transmission: non-Mendelian heredity, Genetic structure and organization, Phenotypic effects, and Population dynamics. Participants representing 12 countries were involved in the B chromosome meeting giving talks and presenting posters. An excellent overview of the 1st BCC was presented by Beukeboom (1994) bringing to the public the major contributions of this important scientific meeting. Among the major contribution of the 1st BCC, Beukeboom highlighted: (i) the statement of JPM Camacho (Granada, Spain) that proposed the moderns view of Bs as “a dispensable supernumerary chromosome that does not recombine with the A chromosomes and follows its own evolutionary pathway”; (ii) as a major direction for the B investigation, a lot of knowledge may be gained from the molecular characterization of Bs. The 2nd BCC was organized in Granada, Spain, during June 26-29 of 2004 and counted with participants belonging to 15 countries. The 2nd BCC had five sessions on Frequency and meiotic behavior, Transmission, Phenotypic effects, DNA composition and origin, and Evolution. The most outstanding contribution of the meeting comes from the application of fluorescence in situ hybridization to the mapping (FISH-mapping) of DNA sequences in the chromosomes. At this moment, FISH-mapping was extensively explored for comparative analysis. The 3rd B Chromosome Conference was conducted on April 7- 9 of 2014 in Gatersleben, Germany. Participants coming from 11 different countries gathered to discuss the latest development in the following B chromosome research areas: Structure and evolution of animal and plant B chromosomes; B chromosome effects and genes; Population genetics of B chromosomes; Segregation behavior and drive of B chromosomes; and Novel analysis methods and application of B chromosomes. Beside posters, 22 talks were given from scientists leading the area of supernumerary chromosome research. The most highlighted issue of the 3rd B edition was the exploration of high scale analysis of DNA and RNA that raises the B chromosome biology to a different level. Therefore, the three previous editions of the B Chromosome Conference highlighted that B chromosome biology has advanced a lot under the impact of recent development of genomics and bioinformatics tolls and functional approaches. So, it is timely to consider a new edition of the B chromosome forum, considering the fast advancing of B chromosome studies in the last few years (for reviews Ahmad and Martins 2019; Houben et al. 2019). In this way, you are invited to join us in Botucatu, Brazil, in July 20-23 of 2019, for an excellent opportunity to bring exciting B-chromosome related topics and new technologies together for discussion under the view of the most outstanding chromosome biologists. The 4th BCC will include 18 talks, 16 short talks, and poster presentations on diverse topics as Education in chromosome Science, Structure, composition and evolution of B chromosomes, Genes and B chromosome effects, Population genetics of B chromosomes, Segregation behavior and drive of B chromosomes, and New technologies and applications of B chromosomes.