Cytogenetic characterization of the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) reveals the absence of sex heteromorphic chromosomes.

The golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) is an aggressive invasive species in South America, where it endangers native species and freshwater ecosystems, in addition to causing extensive economic losses, mainly to the hydroelectric sector. Currently, there's no efficient control method available and the invasion has progressed across the continent. Its high reproduction rate is one of the key factors of the golden mussel's high invasive potential and, recently, efforts have been done in order to understand the reproduction and the sexual features of this species. However, its cytogenetics characterization is incipient and the possible occurrence of sex-specific cytogenetic features was never investigated. In this study, we aimed to characterize the chromosomal morphometry, the distribution profile of heterochromatin, and to detect possible sex-related epigenetic marks in the golden mussel. Results revealed that the karyotypic structure is similar in both sexes and no chromosome heteromorphism was observed between males and females specimens. The data increment the cytogenetic characterization of Limnoperna fortunei and contribute for future studies that aim to further investigate its reproduction and underlying sex determination processes.