Sex, not genotype, determines recombination levels in mice.

ABSTRACT: Recombination, the precise physical breakage and rejoining of DNA between homologous chromosomes, plays a central role in mediating the orderly segregation of meiotic chromosomes in most eukaryotes. Despite its importance, the factors that control the number and placement of recombination events within a cell remain poorly defined. The rate of recombination exhibits remarkable species specificity, and, within a species, recombination is affected by the physical size of the chromosome, chromosomal location, proximity to other recombination events (i.e., chiasma interference), and, intriguingly, the sex of the transmitting parent. To distinguish between simple genetic and nongenetic explanations of sex-specific recombination differences in mammals, we compared recombination in meiocytes from

SUBMITTER: Lynn A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1275616 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature