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The Mammalian Process of Meiotic Synapsis

Brown, Petrice Wynaka
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1157729435

Abstract Details

2007, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Genetics.
The synaptonemal complex (SC) provides the structural framework for synapsis and recombination of homologous chromosomes during meiotic prophase. The relationship between the SC and other prophase events differs among species but studies of model organisms clearly demonstrate that the completion of prophase is dependent on the formation of mature SCs. Although the SC is essential to meiosis, little is known about the details involved in the construction of the mammalian SC. Human testicular biopsy material provides an opportunity to study the meiotic process in the human male. The studies described in this thesis were designed to characterize synapsis and formation of the synaptonemal complex in spermatocytes of normal human males. Using current cytogenetic techniques, SCs were characterized at different stages of prophase to determine genome-wide synaptic patterns, patterns of individual chromosomes and variation within and among individuals. We initially focused on the correlation between synapsis and recombination, by evaluating the temporal relationship between SC formation and the emergence of double strand breaks. Subsequent studies investigated the possibility of co-localization of synaptic initiation sites with sites of recombination. Our results indicated that recombination is initiated before the formation of the SC, and that sites of synaptic initiation are not translated into sites of exchange. We then characterized the process of synapsis in detail by determining the location and number of synaptic initiation events on specific chromosomes. Initial analysis showed that in the human male, synapsis predominantly begins at the distal region. We identified synaptic patterns based on chromosome structure, wherein acrocentric chromosomes harbor one synaptic initiation event on the long arm while nonacrocentric chromosomes may sustain two initiation sites, one per chromosome arm. Subsequent analysis of the synaptic process determined that the SC progresses to the centromeric region, which inhibits synapsis across chromosome arms. Further, similar synaptic patterns were observed in our analysis of several individuals suggesting that synapsis is a highly uniform process among individuals.
Terry Hassold (Advisor)
139 p.
Synapsis; chromosome; synaptic initiation; Meiotic; recombination; Sites of synaptic initiation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Brown, P. W. (2007). The Mammalian Process of Meiotic Synapsis [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1157729435

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Brown, Petrice. The Mammalian Process of Meiotic Synapsis. 2007. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1157729435.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Brown, Petrice. "The Mammalian Process of Meiotic Synapsis." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1157729435

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1157729435
828
© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.