Summary
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1.
Ribonucleic acid synthesis was studied in the autosomes and sex chromosomes during male meiosis in the mouse using uridine-H3 labeling and autoradiography.
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2.
In the autosomes, the incorporation of uridine-H3 into RNA ceased or fell to an insignificant level during early meiotic prophase until early pachytene. After these stages, the rate of incorporation increased rapidly to a maximum in middle pachytene, but declined again progressively during late pachytene, diplotene and diakinesis, as chromosome coiling progresses, and stopped completely during metaphase and anaphase. Secondary spermatocytes were very little labeled during the short resting stage and completely unlabeled during metaphase and anaphase.
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3.
In contrast to the autosomes, the heteropycnotic XY bivalent was invariably unlabeled throughout the meiotic cycle.
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4.
A working hypothesis is forwarded to account for the absence or scarcity of RNA synthesis during early meiotic prophase.
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Monesi, V. Differential rate of ribonucleic acid synthesis in the autosomes and sex chromosomes during male meiosis in the mouse. Chromosoma 17, 11–21 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00285153
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00285153