Male meiosis in Crustacea: synapsis, recombination, epigenetics and fertility in Daphnia magna.

ABSTRACT: We present the first detailed cytological study of male meiosis in Daphnia (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Cladocera)-an aquatic microcrustacean with a cyclical parthenogenetic life cycle. Using immunostaining of the testes in Daphnia magna for baseline knowledge, we characterized the different stages of meiotic division and spermiogenesis in relation to the distribution of proteins involved in synapsis, early recombination events and sister chromatid cohesion. We also studied post-translational histone modifications in male spermatocytes, in relation to the dynamic chromatin progression of meiosis. Finally, we applied a DNA fragmentation test to measure sperm quality of D. magna, with respect to levels of inbreeding. As a proxy for fertility, this technique may be used to assess the reproductiv

SUBMITTER: Gomez R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5023733 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature