Abstract
Chromosome pairing and synaptonemal complex (SC) formation have been analysed on spread and silver stained chromosome complements from autotetraploid Bombyx spermatocytes (4n = 112).
The establishment of distant subtelomeric associations between homologous chromosomes previously shown to precede SC formation in diploid Bombyx spermatocytes is also found in the tetraploid spermatocytes. Specific associations can form on either side of a chromosome leading to SC formation between three or all four homologues. In an animal with aberrant meiosis homologous associations were infrequent or absent resulting in almost random SC formation.
A mean of 13.3 quadrivalents and 25.1 bivalents was present at zygotene while in pachytene complements the mean of quadrivalents was reduced to 8.7 and that of bivalents correspondingly increased to 37.1. It is concluded 1) that chromosome pairing and SC formation during zygotene combine the four homologues at frequencies approaching the theoretical maximum of 67%, 2) that the initial pairing is optimized during the zygotene-pachytene transition to yield a maximum of bivalents and 3) that the occurrence of crossing over at pachytene effectively prevents conversion of multivalents into bivalents. A reduction of quadrivalent frequency occurs also between pachytene and metaphase I probably due to bivalent and trivalent-univalent formation when the SC is resolved and suitable chiasmata are absent to hold the four chromosomes together. These and earlier observations on chromosome pairing in the male silkworm are compared and compiled into a flow-chart summarising the events of chromosomes pairing as deduced from ultrastructural analysis.
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Abbreviations
- LC:
-
lateral component
- SC:
-
synaptonemal complex
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Rasmussen, S.W. Chromosome pairing in autotetraploid Bombyx males. Inhibition of multivalent correction by crossing over. Carlsberg Res. Commun. 52, 211–242 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02910593
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02910593