Meiosis I: when chromosomes undergo extreme makeover

Extreme makeover for Hartford's print shop.

Extreme makeover: converting one cell into another.

Cells of adult mammals can be converted (reprogrammed) to new cells. In one approach, adult cells are converted to pluripotent stem cells, followed by differentiation to regenerate new cell types. Alternatively, adult cells may be directly converted into other mature cells or progenitors. We discuss and compare these two approaches with particular emphasis on the latter and its relevance for re...

Centromere pairing – tethering partner chromosomes in meiosis I

In meiosis, homologous chromosomes face the obstacle of finding, holding onto and segregating away from their partner chromosome. There is increasing evidence, in a diverse range of organisms, that centromere-centromere interactions that occur in late prophase are an important mechanism in ensuring segregation fidelity. Centromere pairing appears to initiate when homologous chromosomes synapse ...

The Origin of Iso-Chromosomes at Meiosis.

N 1.50-CHROMOSOME is a chromosome having two identical arms A (DARLINGTON 1939). Such chromosomes have been studied recently by RHOADES (1940) in Zea and by DARLINGTON (1940) in Fritillaria. It is also very probable that the extra chromosomes in secondary trisomics, such as the numerous types which have been found in Datura (BLAKESLEE and AVERY 1938) are true iso-chromosomes. The manner in whic...

The Chromosomes of Birds during Meiosis.

The cytological analysis of meiotic chromosomes is an exceptional tool to approach complex processes such as synapsis and recombination during the division. Chromosome studies of meiosis have been especially valuable in birds, where naturally occurring mutants or experimental knock-out animals are not available to fully investigate the basic mechanisms of major meiotic events. This review highl...