Abstract
The t complex of mice has been an enigma for over half a century1. The recessive mutations (tn) on chromosome 17 of the mouse have been characterized by four properties: interaction with the dominant mutation T (Brachyury) to cause tail-lessness, transmission ratio distortion in males, a series of homozygous lethal mutations, and cross-over suppression2–4. The last property has led to many studies of meiosis in t-allele-bearing males. Forejt found fewer chiasmata, the cytological correlate of crossing-over, in the region of t haplotypes5,6. Lyon et al.7 confirmed these results and suggested that chiasma suppression determined by t alleles is probably desynaptic but that electron microscopy would probably be needed to settle this point. We have now extended these observations by using a centromeric translocation and analysed synaptonemal complexes by electron microscopy to study t-haplotype pairing. We have found normal synaptonemal complexes without any evidence of inversions but detected early disjunction of the chromosome 17 homologues, supporting the idea of desynaptic chiasma suppression.
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Tres, L., Erickson, R. Electron microscopy of t-allele synaptonemal complexes discloses no inversions. Nature 299, 752–754 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/299752a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/299752a0
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