Skip to main content
Log in

Meiotic recombination

A rare genetic variant biases maternal meiotic recombination toward risk of pregnancy loss

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature Structural & Molecular Biology

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Pregnancy loss is common in humans, but maternal genetic factors modulating its incidence are largely unknown. In a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies, researchers identified a genetic variant that seems to increase risk of pregnancy loss by dysregulating meiotic recombination between homologous chromosomes during egg formation.

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.

Fig. 1: Protein components of the central element of the synaptonemal complex.

References

  1. Steinthorsdottir, V. et al. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-023-01209-y (2024).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Quenby, S. et al. Lancet 397, 1658–1667 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Macklon, N. S., Geraedts, J. P. M. & Fauser, B. C. J. M. Hum. Reprod. Update 8, 333–343 (2002).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. McCoy, R. C. et al. Genome Med. 15, 77 (2023).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Boyle, E. A., Li, Y. I. & Pritchard, J. K. Cell 169, 1177–1186 (2017).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Nguyen Ba, A. N. et al. Elife 11, e73983 (2022).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Bolcun-Filas, E. et al. J. Cell Biol. 176, 741–747 (2007).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Dunce, J. M., Salmon, L. J. & Davies, O. R. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 28, 681–693 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Halldorsson, B. V. et al. Science 363, eaau1043 (2019).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hassold, T. J. & Hunt, P. A. Prenat. Diagn. 41, 584–590 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Gudbjartsson, D. F. et al. Nat. Genet. 47, 435–444 (2015).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

S.A.C. is supported by a US National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (1746891). R.C.M. is supported by US National Institutes of Health/National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIH/NIGMS) Award R35GM133747. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rajiv C. McCoy.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Carioscia, S.A., McCoy, R.C. A rare genetic variant biases maternal meiotic recombination toward risk of pregnancy loss. Nat Struct Mol Biol 31, 584–585 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-024-01269-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-024-01269-8

  • Springer Nature America, Inc.

Navigation