Skip to main content
Log in

Synapsis and chiasma formation in four meiotic mutants of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

  • Published:
Chromosome Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Synapsis and chiasma formation were studied in pollen mother cells of four meiotic mutants of tomato. The four mutants displayed defects in the assembly of the synaptonemal complex (SC) covering the whole range from almost complete absence of synapsis to complete synapsis at pachytene. In three mutants, we found a good correlation between the number of bivalents connected by at least one tripartite SC segment at pachytene and the number of chiasmatic bivalents at metaphase I. We suggest that in tomato functional chiasmata are only formed in the context of the tripartite SC.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alani E, Padmore R, Kleckner N (1990) Analysis of wild-type andrad50 mutants of yeast suggests an intimate relationship between meiotic chromosome synapsis and recombination.Cell 61: 419–436.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Albini SM, Jones GH (1987) Synaptonemal complex spreading inAllium cepa andA. fistulosum. I. The initiation and sequence of pairing.Chromosoma 95: 324–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Albini SM, Jones GH (1988) Synaptonemal complex spreading inAllium cepa andAllium fistulosum. II. Pachytene observations: the SC karyotype and the correspondence to late recombination nodules and chiasmata.Genome 30: 399–410.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishop DK, Park D, Xu L, Kleckner N (1992)DMC1: a meiosis-specific yeast homolog ofE. coli recA required for recombination, synaptonemal complex formation, and cell cycle progression.Cell 69: 439–456.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bojko M (1989) Two kinds of ‘recombination nodules’ inNeurospora crassa.Genome 32: 309–317.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter ATC (1975) Electron microscopy of meiosis inDrosophila melanogaster females. II. The recombination nodule—a recombination-associated structure at pachytene?Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 72: 3186–3189.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter ATC (1979) Synaptonemal complex and recombination nodules in wild-typeDrosophila melanogaster females.Genetics 92: 511–541.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter ATC (1987) Gene conversion, recombination nodules, and the initiation of meiotic synapsis.BioEssays 6: 232–236.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Jong JH, Havekes F, Roca A, Naranjo T (1991) Synapsis and chiasma formation in a ditelo-substituted haploid of rye.Genome 34: 109–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dresser NE, Giroux LN (1988) Meiotic chromosome behaviour in spread preparations of yeast.J Cell Biol 106: 567–573.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Egel-Mitani M, Olson LW, Egel R (1982) Meiosis inAspergillus nidulans: Another example for lacking synaptonemal complexes in the absence of crossover interference.Hereditas 97: 179–187.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Engebrecht J, Roeder GS (1990)MER1, a yeast gene required for chromosome pairing and genetic recombination, is induced in meiosis.Mol Cell Biol 10: 2379–2389.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Engebrecht J, Hirsch J, Roeder GS (1990) Meiotic gene conversion and crossing over: their relationship to each other and to chromosome synapsis and segregation.Cell 62: 927–937.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herickhoff L, Stack S, Sherman J (1993) The relationship between synapsis, recombination nodules and chiasmata in tomato translocation heterozygotes.Heredity 71: 373–385.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollingsworth NM, Goetsch L, Byers B (1990) TheHOP1 gene encodes a meiosis-specific component of yeast chromosomes.Cell 61: 73–84.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jongedijk E, Ramanna MS (1988) Synaptic mutants in potato,Solanum tuberosum L. I. Expression and identity of genes for desynapsis.Genome 30: 664–670.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleckner N, Padmore R, Bishop DK (1991) Meiotic chromosome metabolism: one view.Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant Biol 56: 729–743.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loidl J (1990) The initiation of meiotic chromosome pairing: the cytological view.Genome 33: 759–778.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loidl J, Nairz K, Klein F (1991) Meiotic chromosome synapsis in haploid yeast.Chromosoma 100: 221–228.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maguire MP (1977) Homologous chromosome pairing.Phil Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 277: 245–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maguire MP (1978) Evidence for separate genetic control of crossing over and chiasma maintenance in maize.Chromosoma 65: 173–183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maguire MP, Paredes AM, Riess RW (1991) The desynaptic mutant of maize as a combined defect of synaptonemal complex and chiasma maintenance.Genome 34: 879–887.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Menees TM, Ross-MacDonald PB, Roeder GS (1992)Mei4, a meiosis-specific yeast gene required for chromosome synapsis.Mol Cell Biol 12: 1340–1351.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mentzel MY, Price JM (1966) Fine structure of synapsed chromosomes in F1Lycopersicon esculentum—Solanum lycopersoides hybrids and its parents.Am J Bot 53: 1079–1086.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moens PB (1969) Genetic and cytological effects of three desynaptic genes in the tomato.Can J Genet Cytol 11: 857–869.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olson L, Edén U, Egel-Mitani M, Egel R (1978) Asynaptic meiosis in fission yeast?Hereditas 89: 189–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramanna MS, Prakken R (1967) Structure of and homology between pachtyene and somatic metaphase chromosomes of the tomato.Genetica 38: 115–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen SW (1976) The meiotic prophase inBombyx mori analyzed by three-dimensional reconstructions of synaptonemal complexes.Chromosoma 54: 245–293.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rockmill B, Roeder GS (1990) Meiosis in asynaptic yeast.Genetics 126: 563–574.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sherman JD, Stack SM, (1992) Two-dimensional spreads of synaptonemal complexes from solanaceous plants. V. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) karyotype and idiogram.Genome 35: 354–359.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherman JD, Herickhoff LA, Stack SM (1992) Silver staining two types of meiotic nodules.Genome 35: 907–915.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smithies O, Powers PA (1986) Gene conversions and their relation to homologous chromosome pairing.Phil Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 312: 291–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soost RK (1951) Comparative cytology and genetics of asynaptic mutants inLycopersicon esculentum Mill.Genetics 36: 410–434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stack S (1982) Two-dimensional spreads of synaptonemal complexes from solanaceous plants. I. The technique.Stain Technol 57: 265–272.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stack SM, Anderson LK (1986a) Two-dimensional spreads of synaptonemal complexes from solanaceous plants. II. Synapsis inLycopersicon esculentum (tomato).Am J Bot 73: 264–281.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stack S, Anderson L (1986b) Two-dimensional spreads of synaptonemal complexes from Solanaceous plants. III. Recombination nodules and crossing over inLycopersicon esculentum (tomato).Chromosoma 94: 253–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stack SM, Anderson LK, Sherman JD (1989) Chiasmata and recombination nodules inLilium longiflorum.Genome 32: 486–498.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stack SM, Soullierre DL (1984) The relation between synapsis and chiasma formation inRhoeo spathacea.Chromosoma 90: 72–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern H, Hotta Y (1987) The biochemistry of meiosis. In: Moens PB, Ed.Meiosis. Orlando: Academic Press, pp 303–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sturtevant AH (1915) No crossing over in the female silkworm.Am Nat 49: 42–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sym M, Engebrecht J, Roeder GS (1993)ZIP1 is a synaptonemal complex protein required for meiotic chromosome synapsis.Cell 72: 365–378.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • von Wettstein D, Rasmussen SW, Holm PB (1984) The synaptonemal complex in genetic segregation.Annu Rev Genet 18: 331–413.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zickler D, Moreau PJF, Huynh AD, Slezec A (1992) Correlation between pairing initiation sites, recombination nodules and meiotic recombination inSordaria macrospora.Genetics 132: 135–148.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. H. de Jong.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Havekes, F.W.J., de Jong, J.H., Heyting, C. et al. Synapsis and chiasma formation in four meiotic mutants of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Chromosome Res 2, 315–325 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01552725

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01552725

Key words

Navigation