Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616.
Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Mar 22;119(12):e2115883119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2115883119. Epub 2022 Mar 18.
SignificanceEssential for sexual reproduction, meiosis is a specialized cell division required for the production of haploid gametes. Critical to this process are the pairing, recombination, and segregation of homologous chromosomes (homologs). While pairing and recombination are linked, it is not known how many linkages are sufficient to hold homologs in proximity. Here, we reveal that random diffusion and the placement of a small number of linkages are sufficient to establish the apparent "pairing" of homologs. We also show that colocalization between any two loci is more dynamic than anticipated. Our study provides observations of live interchromosomal dynamics during meiosis and illustrates the power of combining single-cell measurements with theoretical polymer modeling.
意义
减数分裂对于有性生殖至关重要,是产生单倍体配子所必需的一种特殊细胞分裂。同源染色体(homologs)的配对、重组和分离是这一过程的关键。虽然配对和重组是相关联的,但尚不清楚需要多少个联会来使同源染色体保持接近。在这里,我们揭示了随机扩散和少量联会的存在足以建立同源染色体的明显“配对”。我们还表明,任意两个基因座之间的共定位比预期的更为动态。我们的研究提供了减数分裂过程中染色体间动态的活体观察,并说明了将单细胞测量与理论聚合物建模相结合的强大功能。