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Dissociation of the X chromosome from the synaptonemal complex in the XY body of the rodent Galea musteloides

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Abstract

The XY body from spermatocytes of the rodent Galea musteloides shows progressive changes of the synaptonemal complex (SC) axes and the X-chromatin during pachynema. There is a gross thickening of the X-axis and the formation of a large X chromosome loop at mid and late pachytene stages. The SC proteins synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SYCP3), synaptonemal complex protein 1, and synaptonemal complex central element protein 3 and the proteins breast cancer 1, MutL homolog 1 (MLH1), and radiation-repair 51 (related to meiotic processes), the cohesin structural maintenance of chromosome 3, the centromeric protein (with CREST antibody), and the silenced chromatin (with phosphorylated (139ph) H2A histone family, member X (γ-H2AX) antibody) were analyzed in this XY body. The thick X-axis, including the interstitial loop, becomes formed by four to six laminae showing a cross-striation with a periodicity of about 20 nm. The whole length of the gross X-axis shows no significant changes during pachynema, but the interstitial chromatin of the X chromosome and the X centromere are included in the large loop, and it becomes separated from the SC. A conventional SC formed by the Y-axis, a central region and a thin lateral element originally corresponding to the X-axis, remains undisturbed up to the end of pachynema. A single MLH1 focus develops either at the distal or the proximal region of the loop end attached to the conventional SC. The chromatin surrounding the thickened axis is labeled with γ-H2AX. It is shown that most of the SYCP3 protein associated with the X chromosome loop is not involved in the SC maintenance, but it is located with the cohesin axis separated from the SC proper.

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Abbreviations

ATR:

Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 related

BRCA1:

Breast cancer 1

CR:

Central region

CREST:

Calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid

EM:

Electron microscopy

IFI:

Indirect immunofluorescence

LE:

Lateral element

MLH1:

MutL homolog 1

MSCI:

Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation

MSUC:

Meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin

PAR:

Pseudoautosomal region

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

PTA:

Phosphotungstic acid

RAD51:

Radiation-repair 51

SC:

Synaptonemal complex

SMC3:

Structural maintenance of chromosome 3

SYCP1:

Synaptonemal complex protein 1

SYCP3:

Synaptonemal complex protein 3

SYCE3:

Synaptonemal complex central element protein 3

γ-H2AX:

Phosphorylated (Ser139) histone 2, A.X

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Acknowledgments

The able help of Lic C. Deparci is sincerely thanked. We are also very grateful to Prof. M. Alsheimer (University of Würzburg, Germany) for the generous gift of SYCE3 antibody and P.J. Moens† and B. Spyropoulus (York University, Canada) for SYCP1 antibody. We specially thank Prof. Dr. A. Brusco and Eng. Lisandro Anton from LANAIS' service (CONICET). This work was supported by grants from UBACYT 20020100100030 (AJS) and PICT-2010-2718 (RBS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 2da. UA de Biología Celular, Histología, Embriología y Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155 Piso 10 (C1121ABG), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Roberta B. Sciurano, I. Mónica Rahn & Alberto J. Solari

  2. IHEM, CCT-CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina

    Juan C. Cavicchia

  3. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Alberto J. Solari

Authors
  1. Roberta B. Sciurano
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  2. I. Mónica Rahn
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  3. Juan C. Cavicchia
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  4. Alberto J. Solari
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Correspondence to Alberto J. Solari.

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Responsible editor: Walther Traut

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Sciurano, R.B., Rahn, I.M., Cavicchia, J.C. et al. Dissociation of the X chromosome from the synaptonemal complex in the XY body of the rodent Galea musteloides . Chromosome Res 21, 753–763 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-013-9379-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-013-9379-3

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