Abstract
Self-pairing of the Y chromosome at prophase of meiosis in XY,Sxr male mice appears to take place in many cells to the exclusion of pairing between the Y and the X. This phenomenon offers an explanation for the high level of X-Y separation seen in these males at prophase of meiosis, additional separations being evident, however, when metaphase I (MI) cells are examined. A minority of prophase cells show the Y paired both autologously and with a sub-terminal region of the X which could be the normal pairing region. The balloon-like configurations observed when self-pairing occurs suggest that the distal Sxr fragment is inverted on the Y chromosome of Sxr carrier males in relation to the normal proximal testis-determining (Td)-containing region.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burgoyne PS (1982) Genetic homology and crossing-over in the X and Y chromosomes of mammals. Hum Genet 61:85–90
Cattanach BM, Pollard CE, Hawkes SG (1971) Sex-reversed mice: XX and XO males. Cytogenet Cell Genet 10:318–337
Chandley AC, Fletcher JM (1980) Meiosis in Sxr male mice. 1. Does a Y-autosome rearrangement exist in sex-reversed (Sxr) mice? Chromosoma 81:9–17
Eicher EM (1982) Primary sex determining genes in mice. In: Ammann RP, Seidel GE (eds) Prospects for sexing mammalian sperm. Colorado Assoc Univ Press, Boulder, pp 121–135
Evans EP, Breckon G, Ford CE (1964) An air-drying method for meiotic preparations from mammalian testes. Cytogenetics 3:289–294
Evans EP, Burtenshaw MD, Brown BB (1980) II. Further absence of cytological evidence for a Y-autosome rearrangement in sexreversed (Sxr) mice. Chromosoma 81:19–26
Evans EP, Burtenshaw MD, Cattanach BM (1982) Meiotic crossing-over between the X and Y chromosomes of male mice carrying the sex-reversing (Sxr) factor. Nature 300:443–445
Fletcher J (1979) Light microscope analysis of meiotic prophase chromosomes by silver staining. Chromosoma 72:241–248
Goetz P, Chandley AC, Speed RM (1984) Morphological and temporal sequence of meiotic prophase development at puberty in the male mouse. J Cell Sci 65:249–263
Lyon MF, Cattanach BM, Charlton HM (1981) Genes affecting sex differentiation in mammals. In: Austin CR, Edwards RG (eds) Mechanisms of sex differentiation in animals and man. Academic Press, London New York, pp 329–386
Moses MJ (1977) Microspreading and the synaptonemal complex in cytogenetic studies. In: de la Chapelle A, Sorsa M (eds) Chromosomes today. Elsevier/North Holland, Biomedical Press, Amsterdam, pp 71–82
Shapiro M, Erickson RP, Lewis S, Tres LL (1982) Serological and cytological evidence for increased Y-chromosome related material in Sxr,XY (sex-reversed carrier, male) mice. J Reprod Immunol 4:191–206
Singh L, Jones KW (1982) Sex reversal in the mouse (Mus musculus) is caused by a recurrent nonreciprocal crossover involving the X and an aberrant Y chromosome. Cell 28:205–216
Speed RM (1986) Oocyte development in XO foetuses of man and mouse: The possible role of heterologous X-chromosome pairing in germ cell survival. Chromosoma 94:115–124
Winsor EJT, Ferguson-Smith MA, Shire JGM (1978) Meiotic studies in mice carrying the sex reversal (Sxr) factor. Cytogenet Cell Genet 21:11–18
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chandley, A.C., Speed, R.M. Cytological evidence that the Sxr fragment of XY,Sxr mice pairs homologously at meiotic prophase with the proximal testis-determining region. Chromosoma 95, 345–349 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00293181
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00293181