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Recombination and synaptic adjustment in oocytes of mice heterozygous for a large paracentric inversion

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Abstract

Homologous chromosome synapsis in inversion heterozygotes results in the formation of inversion loops. These loops might be transformed into straight, non-homologously paired bivalents via synaptic adjustment. Synaptic adjustment was discovered 30 years ago; however, its relationship with recombination has remained unclear. We analysed this relationship in female mouse embryos heterozygous for large paracentric inversion In(1)1Rk using immunolocalisation of the synaptonemal complex (SYCP3) and mature recombination nodules (MLH1) proteins. The frequency of cells containing bivalents with inversion loops decreased from 69 % to 28 % during pachytene. If an MLH1 focus was present in the non-homologously paired inverted region of the straight bivalent, it was always located in the middle of the inversion. Most of the small, incompletely adjusted loops contained MLH1 foci near the points at which pairing partners were switched. This observation indicates that the degree of synaptic adjustment depended on the crossover position. Complete synaptic adjustment was only possible if a crossover (CO) was located exactly in the middle of the inversion. If a CO was located at any other site, this interrupted synaptic adjustment and resulted in inversion loops of different sizes with an MLH1 focus at or near the edge of the remaining loop.

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Abbreviations

CO:

Crossover

Cy3:

Orange fluorescing cyanine

DAPI:

4′-6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole

DSB:

Double-strand break

DOP-PCR:

Degenerate oligonucleotide-primed polymerase chain reaction

dpc:

Days post-conception

FISH:

Fluorescent in situ hybridization

FITC:

Fluorescein isothiocyanate

MLH1:

MutL Homolog 1

NCO:

Non-crossover

SC:

Synaptonemal complex

SYCP3:

Synaptonemal complex protein 3

TAMRA:

Carboxytetramethylrhodamine

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Mrs. Antonina Zhelezova and Mrs. Marina Rodionova for their help in breeding mice and SC spread preparation. We thank the Microscopy Center of the Siberian Department of Russian Academy of Sciences for granting access to their equipment. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Biodiversity Program of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Siberian Department, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

    Anna A. Torgasheva, Nikolai B. Rubtsov & Pavel M. Borodin

  2. Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia

    Nikolai B. Rubtsov & Pavel M. Borodin

Authors
  1. Anna A. Torgasheva
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  2. Nikolai B. Rubtsov
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  3. Pavel M. Borodin
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Correspondence to Pavel M. Borodin.

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Responsible Editor: Beth A. Sullivan.

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Torgasheva, A.A., Rubtsov, N.B. & Borodin, P.M. Recombination and synaptic adjustment in oocytes of mice heterozygous for a large paracentric inversion. Chromosome Res 21, 37–48 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-012-9336-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-012-9336-6

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