The Polymorphism of Cytogenetic Markers in the Farm and Wild-Living Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes Procyonoides) / Polimorfizm Markerów Cytogenetycznych U Jenota (Nyctereutes Procyonoides) W Populacjach Hodowlanych I Dziko Żyjących

The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is a mammalian species that belongs to Canidae family, order Carnivora. This species represents both animals living in the wild and farm animals used in the fur industry. Raccoon dogs have the most ‘primitive’ karyotype among Canidae family. The Chinese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides procyonoides) is characterised by a variable number of chromosomes (2n = 54 + 0-4 B). B chromosomes are supernumerary chromosomes occurring in addition to the basic set of A chromosomes in the cells of many organisms. The function and origin of these additional chromosomes is not clear. The aim of this work was to determine possible karyotypic differences between wild-living and farm populations, using methods of classical and molecular cytogenetics. The most useful cytogenetic markers to analyse karyotype polymorphism of canine are the number of B chromosomes and nucleolar organizer regions. A variation was identified in the number of B chromosomes and nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) in cells between wild-living and breeding populations.