Crossover Patterning by the Beam-Film Model: Analysis and Implications |
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Authors: | Liangran Zhang Zhangyi Liang John Hutchinson Nancy Kleckner |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America;2.School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America;Stowers Institute for Medical Research, United States of America |
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Abstract: | Crossing-over is a central feature of meiosis. Meiotic crossover (CO) sites are spatially patterned along chromosomes. CO-designation at one position disfavors subsequent CO-designation(s) nearby, as described by the classical phenomenon of CO interference. If multiple designations occur, COs tend to be evenly spaced. We have previously proposed a mechanical model by which CO patterning could occur. The central feature of a mechanical mechanism is that communication along the chromosomes, as required for CO interference, can occur by redistribution of mechanical stress. Here we further explore the nature of the beam-film model, its ability to quantitatively explain CO patterns in detail in several organisms, and its implications for three important patterning-related phenomena: CO homeostasis, the fact that the level of zero-CO bivalents can be low (the “obligatory CO”), and the occurrence of non-interfering COs. Relationships to other models are discussed. |
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