Synaptic defects of asynaptic homozygotes in maize at the electron microscope level

Genome ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1194-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Maguire ◽  
R. W. Riess

More detailed observations of the synaptonemal complex (SC) in asynaptic maize plants have been faciliated by superior silver-staining procedures. These suggest that central region components of the SC are strongly implicated as defective in asynaptic. Apparently homologous axial elements tend to follow roughly parallel courses within the nucleus at pachytene, in some short segments apparently synapsed and in others at wider separation than normal synapsis yet close enough to allow observation of thin central element segments and also occasional thin transverse element-type structures. This kind of transverse filament may be weakened and severely stretched yet associated with both axial elements. Small nodules, similar to recombination nodules, appear at corresponding positions in widely separated axial elements. Key words : synaptonemal complex, central element, transverse filament, recombination nodule.

Author(s):  
T. Guha ◽  
A. Q. Siddiqui ◽  
P. F. Prentis

The Primary Spermatocytes represent a stage in spermatogenesis when the first meiotic cell division occurs. They are derived from Spermatogonium or Stem cell through mitotic division. At the zygotene phase of meiotic prophase the Synaptonemal complex appears in these cells in the space between the paired homologous chromosomes. Spermatogenesis and sperm structure in fish have been studied at the electron microscope level in a few species? However, no work has yet been reported on ultrastructure of tilapia, O. niloticus, spermatozoa and spermatogenetic process. In this short communication we are reporting the Ultrastructure of Primary Spermatocytes in tilapia, O. niloticus, and the fine structure of synaptonemal complexes seen in the spermatocyte nuclei.


1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J. Read ◽  
E. B. Gareth Jones ◽  
Stephen T. Moss

The asci, ascospores, and appendages of Savoryella longispora, Savoryella paucispora, and Savoryella appendiculata were examined at the transmission electron microscope level. Asci of S. longispora and S. appendiculata have a well-developed apical apparatus that consists of a thickened electron-dense ring with a central pore. In S. appendiculata the pore is occluded by a plug of electron-lucent material. The ascus wall comprises an outer narrow electron-opaque layer and an inner electron-lucent layer that are continuous over the apical apparatus. Ascospore walls possess an inner electron-lucent mesosporium and an outer electron-opaque episporium. The episporium of the central cells of all three species is covered with a layer of fibrillar mucilage. Granular strand-like outgrowths of the ascospore wall are present on the polar cells of S. appendiculata and S. paucispora. In all three species the hyaline polar cells of the ascospore contain organelles and in S. appendiculata the polar cells are verrucose. Ascospore appendages are only found in S. appendiculata and these arise endogenously by outgrowth of the endosporium of the polar cell. The differences between the three species are not considered significant at the generic level and therefore all are assigned to the genus Savoryella. Key words: appendages, Ascomycotina, ascospores, marine, taxonomy, ultrastructure.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosario Ortiz ◽  
Olga M Echeverria ◽  
Sergej Masich ◽  
Christer Hoog ◽  
Abrahan Hernandez-Hernandez

Genetic variability in sexually reproducing organisms results from an exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes. The genetic exchange mechanism is dependent on the synaptonemal complex (SC), a protein structure localized between the homologous chromosomes. Current structural models of the SC are based on electron microscopy, super resolution, and expansion microscopy studies using chemical fixatives and sample dehydration of gonads, which are methodologies known to produce structural artifacts. We have developed a novel electron microscopy sample-preparation approach where pachytene cells are isolated from mouse testis by FACS, followed by cryo-fixation and cryo-substitution to achieve visualization of a close-to-native structure of the SC. We found that the central region of the SC was wider than previously recognized, and the transverse filaments more densely packed in the central region. Furthermore, we identified a structure nucleating the central element of the SC.


Genome ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 770-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Stack ◽  
Dick Roelofs

Allium porrum L. (cultivated leek) (2n = 4x = 32) is a fertile tetraploid that forms bivalents with pericentric chiasmata at metaphase I. To investigate the basis of this unusual behavior for a tetraploid, we describe the karyotype, axial cores, synaptonemal complexes (SCs), and meiotic nodules of A. porrum. The karyotype appears to be autotetraploid. This conclusion is also supported by presynaptic alignment of axial cores in groups of four and partner trades between pairs of SCs. Numerous early nodules are distributed all along axial cores and SCs during zygonema, but they are lost by late zygonema – early pachynema. Late (recombination) nodules (RNs) are present on SCs near kinetochores throughout the remainder of pachynema. This pattern of RNs corresponds to the pattern of pericentric chiasmata. Pachytene quadrivalents usually are resolved into bivalents because partner trades between SC lateral elements rarely occur between RNs on the same segment of SC. Thus, the patterns of crossing-over and partner trades promote balanced disjunction and high fertility in autotetraploid A. porrum. Rare quadrivalents observed at metaphase I must be due to infrequent partner trades between RNs. Polycomplexes, unusual in their number and size, were observed during zygonema. Key words : synaptonemal complex, recombination nodules, localized chiasmata, polycomplex, Allium porrum.


1983 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annelise Wandall ◽  
Allan Svendsen

Synaptonemal complexes (SCs) from the spermatocytes of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, were spread on a 0.3 M sucrose hypophase and analyzed in the electron microscope. The SC karyotype was similar to the one known from light microscopy of mitotic cells in both relative lengths and in centromere positions. All pachytene nuclei retained their bouquet configuration during spreading; the telomeres were polarized and clustered, and the three centromeric regions were close together. The kinetochores differentiated during pachytene, those of bivalent No. 1 (the sex bivalent) before the others. Recombination nodules were preserved in some spreads; out of 35 nodules, whose distal or proximal location on the SC arms could be determined, 27 were located in the distal one-third of the arms. No SC arm had more than one nodule.


Genome ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 718-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto J. Solari ◽  
M. H. Thorne ◽  
B. L. Sheldon ◽  
C. B. Gillies

Twelve triploid, ZZW chickens of ages ranging from day 19 of incubation to 15 days after hatching were used for oocyte analysis. Oocytes show 117 axes per nucleus. At early pachytene, most axes form double synaptonemal complexes (triplets). An average of 27 triplets, 12 bivalents, and 12 univalents was observed. Later, a partial elimination of triplets occurs, as they are converted into typical trivalents or bivalents and univalents. The number of recombination nodules per nucleus (52.7) is similar to that of diploids. These nodules can occur in register in both central regions of a triplet (no lateral interference), and they probably stabilize the central region. Among 31 oocytes, 29 had a regular ZZ bivalent and a W univalent, and only 2 had triple pairing between a ZZ bivalent and a terminal region of the W axis (less than 1 μm in length and having a terminal recombination nodule). Competition for pairing between the gonosomes results in a large (93.5% of cases) predominance of Z–Z pairing, because of a relatively minor homology between the W and Z chromosomes. The prevailing pairing failure of the W chromosome may lead to early oocyte loss.Key words: sex chromosomes, triploids, synaptonemal complex, Z–W pairing, chicken, recombination nodules.


1973 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto J. Solari ◽  
Montrose J. Moses

The fine structure of bivalents from golden hamster and house cricket spermatocytes has been studied with a whole mount surface-spreading method combined with negative staining. The elements of the synaptonemal complex show detail of structure which is absent in other preparative procedures. The transverse filaments found in the central region of the synaptonemal complex from both species are straight and have a similar width, 1 6–1 8 nm These filaments occur mainly in bundles The central element differs in architecture in the two species In hamster bivalents it is formed of longitudinal stretches of filaments 1.6–1 8 nm wide and a small amount of an amorphous material similar to that of the lateral elements In the cricket, the central element contains transverse fibrils which are continuous with the transverse filaments of the central region, and an amorphous material lying mainly along the sides of the central element All of the components of the central region of the synaptonemal complex are resistant to pancreatic DNase. The overlapping ends of the transverse filaments, together with additional protein material, make up the central element The widespread occurrence and close morphological and histochemical interspecies similarities of the transverse filaments indicate that they serve an essential role, probably one concerned with holding synapsed bivalents together via the lateral elements. Restrictions placed by the observations reported here on current models of the synaptonemal complex are discussed.


1982 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Tanaka ◽  
I. Brent Heath ◽  
Peter B. Moens

Pachytene nuclei of the fungus Saprolegnia ferax (Gruith.) Thuret were analyzed by serial section electron microscopy. These nuclei contained 21 synaptonemal complexes, all of which terminated at both ends on the nuclear envelope. These complexes range from 1.6 μm to 5.5 μm in length and are composed of two rather diffuse lateral elements, lack a continuous central element and contain discontinuous central nodes. These nodes occur at about 1 per μm of synaptonemal complex length, have a diameter of approximately 50 nm, are predominantly short (<200 nm) and appear to occur as multiples of a basic 50 nm length. These nodes are in many respects similar to previously reported recombination nodules. The complexes were not seen to form a bouquet stage. Based on nuclear DNA content and synaptonemal complex length, the chromosomes are calculated to contain 2C values of between 5.2 and 17.3 fg of DNA, with a mean value of 9.3 fg. Thus it seems that Saprolegnia has large chromosomes relative to other fungi and a haploid complement of 21.


Chromosoma ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 102 (10) ◽  
pp. 669-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Schmekel ◽  
Jacob Wahrman ◽  
Ulf Skoglund ◽  
Bertil Daneholt

Genome ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 486-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Stack ◽  
Lorinda K. Anderson ◽  
Jamie D. Sherman

We determined the frequency of chiasmata at late diplotene in microsporocytes of Lilium longiflorum (lily). Because there are long, intimate associations of homologous chromosomes in addition to short associations that appear to be single chiasmata, the number of chiasmata counted depends on how the long associations are interpreted. Using a defined method, we determined that there was an average of 54.8 ± 6.0 chiasmata per complete set of diplotene bivalents. Recombination nodules are 100-nm ellipsoids that are found on the central element of synaptonemal complexes. There is correlative evidence that strongly indicates recombination nodules are located at the sites of crossing-over in late pachytene. Using spreads of synaptonemal complexes stained with uranyl acetate – lead citrate, we determined that the frequency of recombination nodules was 1/57.2 μm of synaptonemal complex. Using separate silver-stained spreads of synaptonemal complexes from lily microsporocytes, we determined that the average length of a complete set of pachytene synaptonemal complexes was 3149 ± 668 μm. Therefore, an average set of synaptonemal complexes would have 55.1 (3149 ÷ 57.2) recombination nodules, a number that closely matches the average number of chiasmata in a set of late diplotene bivalents.Key words: chiasmata, recombination nodules, synaptonemal complex, Lilium longiflorum.


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