Meiotic chromosome pairing in maize is associated with a novel chromatin organization

doi:10.1016/0092-8674(94)90364-6

Cell

Volume 76, Issue 5, 11 March 1994, Pages 901-912

https://doi.org/10.1016/0092-8674(94)90364-6 Get rights and content

Abstract

Three-dimensional light microscopy and the excellent cytological features of maize meiotic chromosomes are used to analyze the early events of chromosome synapsis. We demonstrate that the chromosomes undergo a dramatic structural reorganization prior to synapsis in zygotene. The unique features of prezygotene chromosomes are a partial separation of sister chromatids, an elongation of knob heterochromatin, an increase in surface complexity, a 50% increase in total chromosome volume, and a peripheral localization and alignment of telomeric, but not proximal, loci. At zygotene, chromosome volume decreases and chromosomes appear as single fibers. The specialized prezygotene chromosome morphology may facilitate homology recognition once the homologs have been brought together.

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Citation Excerpt :
Early work in maize showed that chromosome pairing is associated with progressive changes in chromatin organization, with analyses of chromosome morphology and distribution permitting association of pairing with extensive chromatin rearrangements (Dawe et al., 1994). Dramatic structural reorganization was observed at the onset of pairing, with elongation of knob heterochromatin, increase in surface complexity and in total chromosome volume, suggesting that efficient homologous chromosome pairing relies on active movement of chromosomes and on a specialized chromatin and nuclear architecture (Dawe et al., 1994). Studies in wheat also provide strong evidence for a role of chromatin remodeling in homologous chromosome pairing (Prieto et al., 2004, 2005; Colas et al., 2008).
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Cell

Meiotic chromosome pairing in maize is associated with a novel chromatin organization

Abstract

Meth. Cell Biol.

Adv. Genet.

Cell

J. Theor. Biol.

Cell

Cell

Dev. Biol.

Cell

Three-dimensional intranuclear DNA organization in situ: three states of condensation and their redistribution as a function of nuclear size near the G1-S border in HeLa S-3 cells

J. Cell Sci.

A three-dimensional approach to mitotic chromosome structure: evidence for a complex hierarchical organization

J. Cell Biol.

Human meiosis. VIII. Chromosome pairing and formation of the synaptonemal complex in oocytes

Carlsberg Res. Commun.

Chromosome pairing in maize

Genetics

The cytogenetics of corn

Maize microsporogenesis

Genome

Manipulation, display, and analysis of three-dimensional biological images

Knob constitution of inbred lines of maize (Zea mays L.) and its implications in maize breeding

Sabrao J.

A correlation of cytological and genetical crossing-over in Zea mays

Incorporation of tritiated thymidine by microsporocytes in maize

Maize Genet. Coop. Newslett.

Pachytene DAPI map

Maize Genet. Coop. Newslett.

An ultrastructural analysis of chromosomal pairing in maize

C. R. Trav. Lab. Carlsberg

Timing of molecular events in meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae stable heteroduplex DNA is formed late in meiotic prophase

Mol. Cell. Biol.

Molecular cloning and characterization of iojap (ij), a pattern striping gene of maize

EMBO J.

Three-dimensional multiple-wavelength fluorescence microscopy for the structural analysis of biological phenomena

Semin. Cell Biol.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of chromosome pairing during the zygotene stage of meiosis in Lilium longiflorum (Thunb.)

Carlsberg Res. Commun.

The premeiotic DNA replication of euchromatin and heterochromatin in Lilium longiflorum (Thunb.)

Carlsberg Res. Commun.

Relative stage duration of microsporogenesis in maize

Iowa State J. Res.