Chromosome pairing in the allotetraploid Aegilops biuncialis and a triploid intergeneric hybrid

Genome ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 664-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Cuñado ◽  
S. Callejas ◽  
M. J. García ◽  
J. L Santos ◽  
A. Fernández

Chromosome pairing behaviour of the natural allotetraploid Aegilops biuncialis (genome UUMM) and a triploid hybrid Ae. biuncialis × Secale cereale (genome UMR) was analyzed by electron microscopy in surface-spread prophase I nuclei. Synaptonemal-complex analysis at zygotene and pachytene revealed that synapsis in the allotetraploid was mostly between homologous chromosomes, although a few quadrivalents were also formed. Only homologous bivalents were observed at metaphase I. In contrast, homoeologous and heterologous chromosome associations were common at prophase I and metaphase I of the triploid hybrid. It is concluded that the mechanism controlling bivalent formation in Ae. biuncialis acts mainly at zygotene by restricting pairing to homologous chromosomes, but also acts at pachytene by preventing chiasma formation in the homoeologous associations. In the hybrid the mechanism fails at both stages. Key words : Aegilops biuncialis, allotetraploid, intergeneric hybrid, pairing control, synaptonemal complex.

Genome ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hum M. Thomas ◽  
W. G. Morgan

The synaptonemal complexes in the diploid hybrid Lolium multiflorum × Festuca drymeja were examined by the surface spreading technique, and chromosome pairing at metaphase I was analysed. Synaptonemal complex analysis revealed "illegitimate" pairing, including multivalents and foldback pairing. At metaphase I, most chiasmata were between chromosomes of the same genome, and again multivalents were found. It was concluded that most synaptonemal complexes resulted in chiasma formation. The effects of the large differences in DNA values of the two species and the possible genotypic effect of F. drymeja on chromosome pairing are discussed.Key words: Lolium-Festuca, synaptonemal complexes, nonhomologous pairing, DNA values.


Genome ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1032-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. de Jong ◽  
A. M. A. Wolters ◽  
J. M. Kok ◽  
H. Verhaar ◽  
J. van Eden

Three somatic hybrids resulting from protoplast fusions of a diploid kanamycin-resistant line of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and a dihaploid hygromycin-resistant transformant of a monohaploid potato (Solanum tuberosum) line were used for a cytogenetic study on chromosome pairing and meiotic recombination. Chromosome counts in root-tip meristem cells revealed two hypotetraploids with chromosome complements of 2n = 46 and one with 2n = 47. Electron microscope analyses of synaptonemal complex spreads of hypotonically burst protoplasts at mid prophase I showed abundant exchanges of pairing partners in multivalents involving as many as eight chromosomes. In the cells at late pachytene recombination nodules were found in multivalents on both sides of pairing partner exchanges, indicating recombination at both homologous and homoeologous sites. Light microscope observations of pollen mother cells at late diakinesis and metaphase I also revealed multivalents, though their occurrence in low frequencies betrays the reduction of multivalent number and complexity. Precocious separation of half bivalents at metaphase I and lagging of univalents at anaphase I were observed frequently. Bridges, which may result from an apparent inversion loop found in the synaptonemal complexes of a mid prophase I nucleus, were also quite common at anaphase I, though the expected accompanying fragments could be detected in only a few cells. Most striking were the high frequencies of first division restitution in preparations at metaphase II/anaphase II, giving rise to unreduced gametes. In spite of the expected high numbers of balanced haploid and diploid gametes, male fertility, as revealed by pollen staining, was found to be negligible.Key words: synaptonemal complex, recombination, chromosome pairing, somatic hybrid, Lycopersicon esculentum (+) Solanum tuberosum.


Genome ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 662-667
Author(s):  
M Martínez ◽  
C Cuadrado ◽  
J Sybenga ◽  
C Romero

Synaptic behaviour of the two tetraploids rye cultivars Gigantón (G) and Tetrapico (T) displaying significant differences in their quadrivalent frequencies at metaphase I was analyzed by electron microscopy in surface-spread prophase I nuclei. A different behaviour was observed between the two cultivars; the synaptonemal complex (SC) quadrivalents frequency being significantly higher in G than in T at prophase I. Moreover, the G SC quadrivalents had more synaptic partner exchanges (SPEs) and their location was more distal than the T SC quadrivalents. However, inverse findings were found at metaphase I, the quadrivalent frequency was higher in T than in G. The role that different factors, mainly the number and location of the SPEs and the frequency and distribution of chiasmata, could play in the evolution from prophase I to metaphase I in both cultivars is discussed.Key words: autotetraploid rye, synaptonemal complex, spreading.


1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 790-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Chang Chen ◽  
Pryce B. Gibson

Both Trifolium repens (2n = 32) and T. nigrescens (2n = 16) formed bivalents during meiosis. However, their triploid hybrid showed an average of 4.27 trivalents per microsporocyte at metaphase I. The frequency of trivalents in the hybrid between T. nigrescens and autotetraploid T. occidentale (2n = 32) was 5.69. The data are interpreted to indicate: (1) a possible autotetraploid origin of T. repens; and (2) a close phylogenetic relationship among T. repens, T. nigrescens and T. occidentale.


Genome ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 616-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. del Cerro ◽  
J. L. Santos

Analysis of surface-spread synaptonemal complexes of zygotene and pachytene spermatocytes was carried out on centric-shift heterozygotes of grasshoppers. These rearrangements affected the M7 chromosome in Chorthippus vagans and the M6 and S8 chromosomes in Chorthippus apricarius. The shifts in the latter two chromosomes were also associated with C-heterochromatin variations between homologous chromosomes. Rearranged chromosomes proceeded directly to heterosynapsis without an apparent intervening homosynaptic phase in M7 bivalents of Ch. vagans and M6 bivalents of Ch. apricarius. In the latter case, axial equalization of the heterochromatin polymorphism was also achieved. On the other hand, asynapsis of the intercentromeric regions throughout pachytene was the rule in the centric shift involving the S8 chromosome of Ch. apricarius. In the three cases analysed, the production of unbalanced gametes in the heterozygotes is precluded either by the lack of chiasma formation in heterosynapsed rearranged segments or by the lack of pairing between such segments. Chiasmata were limited to the homologous regions of the heteromorphic bivalents.Key words: synapsis, surface spreading, centric shift, chiasma distribution, meiosis.


2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1053-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy M. Clemons ◽  
Heather M. Brockway ◽  
Yizhi Yin ◽  
Bhavatharini Kasinathan ◽  
Yaron S. Butterfield ◽  
...  

During meiosis, evolutionarily conserved mechanisms regulate chromosome remodeling, leading to the formation of a tight bivalent structure. This bivalent, a linked pair of homologous chromosomes, is essential for proper chromosome segregation in meiosis. The formation of a tight bivalent involves chromosome condensation and restructuring around the crossover. The synaptonemal complex (SC), which mediates homologous chromosome association before crossover formation, disassembles concurrently with increased condensation during bivalent remodeling. Both chromosome condensation and SC disassembly are likely critical steps in acquiring functional bivalent structure. The mechanisms controlling SC disassembly, however, remain unclear. Here we identify akir-1 as a gene involved in key events of meiotic prophase I in Caenorhabditis elegans. AKIR-1 is a protein conserved among metazoans that lacks any previously known function in meiosis. We show that akir-1 mutants exhibit severe meiotic defects in late prophase I, including improper disassembly of the SC and aberrant chromosome condensation, independently of the condensin complexes. These late-prophase defects then lead to aberrant reconfiguring of the bivalent. The meiotic divisions are delayed in akir-1 mutants and are accompanied by lagging chromosomes. Our analysis therefore provides evidence for an important role of proper SC disassembly in configuring a functional bivalent structure.


Genome ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Torabinejad ◽  
R. J. Mueller

Eight intergeneric hybrid plants were obtained between Elymus scabrus (2n = 6x = 42, SSYY??) and Australopyrum pectinatum ssp. retrofractum (2n = 2x = 14, WW). The hybrids were vegetatively vigorous but reproductively sterile. Examination of pollen mother cells at metaphase I revealed an average of 16.63 I, 5.29 II, 0.19 III, and 0.05 IV per cell for the eight hybrids. The average chiasma frequency of 6.77 per cell in the above hybrids strongly supports the presence of a W genome from A. pectinatum ssp. retrofractum in E. scabrus. Meiotic pairing data of some other interspecific hybrids suggest the existence of the SY genomes in E. scabrus. Therefore, the genome constitution of E. scabrus should be written as SSYYWW. Two other hybrid plants resulted from Elymus yezoensis (2n = 4x = 28, SSYY) crosses with A. pectinatum ssp. pectinatum (2n = 2x = 14, WW). Both were weak and sterile. An average of 0.45 bivalents per cell were observed at metaphase I. This clearly indicates a lack of pairing between W genome of Australopyrum and S or Y genomes of E. yezoensis. In addition, six hybrid plants of E. scabrus with Psathyrostachys juncea (2n = 2x = 14, NN) and one with Thinopyrum bessarabicum (2n = 2x = 14, JJ) were also obtained. The average bivalents per cell formed in both combinations were 2.84 and 0.70, respectively. The results of the latter two combinations showed that there is no N or J genome in E. scabrus.Key words: wide hybridization, chromosome pairing, genome analysis, Australopyrum, Elymus.


1992 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-422
Author(s):  
G. Jenkins ◽  
A. Okumus

Seedlings of Allium fistulosum (2n=2x=16) were treated with aqueous colchicine with the intention of inducing tetraploidy. One treated, but undoubled, diploid mutant is described which consistently fails to form any chiasmata at diakinesis and metaphase I of meiosis. Electron microscopy of whole-mount surface-spread synaptonemal complex complements of pollen mother cell nuclei revealed that the achiasmate condition is probably due not only to the failure to complete synapsis, but also to the indiscriminate way in which the chromosomes form synaptonemal complexes during meiotic prophase. Synapsis begins and progresses with complete disregard to homology, with frequent exchanges of pairing partners resulting in the formation of multiple associations comprising heterologous chromosomes. Intrachromosomal synapsis is also evident as fold-back loops. Up to 78% of lateral element length is incorporated into synaptonemal complex, the morphology of which is not unlike that of normal A. fistulosum and other Allium species described previously. However, all the synaptonemal complexes are ineffective in terms of supporting chiasmata, since 16 univalents enter metaphase I and disjoin irregularly at anaphase I. The mutant is as a consequence completely male sterile. The synaptic behaviour observed confirms that the recognition of homology is an independent process and not a prerequisite for synaptonemal complex formation. It is hoped this mutant will be a valuable tool for probing the molecular basis of homology.


Genome ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 553-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Curtis ◽  
A. J. Lukaszewski ◽  
M. Chrzastek

Metaphase I pairing of deficient chromosomes was analyzed in a set of 'Chinese Spring' (CS) wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.) plants with varying lengths of deficiencies in the long arm of chromosome 4A (6, 8, 11, 17, 23, 34, 36, 39, and 50% missing), the long arm of chromosome 5B (49% missing), and the long arm of chromosome 2B (33% missing). Pairing in homologous chromosomes between deficient and complete arms was greatly reduced even by small differences in arm length. In deficiency homozygotes and in an isochromosome derived from a deficient 4AL arm, pairing of the two deficient arms was high and approached that of two complete arms. In plants where deficient and complete arms competed for pairing partners, pairing was exclusively between arms of the same length. These results suggest that in wheat, pairing initiation sites are distributed throughout at least the distal halves of the arms and that the alignment of telomeres may be critical for pairing success. Genetic mapping of the deficiency breakpoints was confounded by misdivision of unpaired chromosomes and abnormal transmission rates. Genetic distances between centromeres and breakpoints appeared to be proportional to metaphase I pairing frequencies.Key words: bread wheat, deficiency, chromosome pairing competition, mapping, telomere, pairing initiation.


Genome ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. E. Dollin ◽  
J. D. Murray ◽  
C. B. Gillies

The mechanisms of homoeologous chromosome pairing were studied in synaptonemal complex (SC) spreads of F1 Brahman (Bos indicus) × Hereford (Bos taurus) cattle. The most common SC abnormalities were bivalents with partial pairing failure and interlocks. While C-band polymorphisms could underlie most of the SC abnormalities observed in the full-blood cattle, other causes seem also to be contributing in the hybrids. The pattern of the abnormalities indicates that genie differences between the species were probably involved. Pachytene substaging data suggest that in some spreads, early pachytene bivalents with partial pairing failure may achieve complete synapsis or may be converted to interlocks by late pachytene.Key words: synaptonemal complex, hybrid cattle, interlocks.


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