Sex-specific recombination rates in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
In many organisms, the rate of genetic recombination is not uniform along the length of chromosomes or between sexes. To compare the relative recombination rates during meiosis in male and female zebrafish, we constructed a genetic map based on male meiosis. We developed a meiotic mapping panel of 94 androgenetic haploid embryos that were scored for genetic polymorphisms. The resulting male map was compared to female and sex-average maps. We found that the recombination rate in male meiosis is dramatically suppressed relative to that of female meiosis, especially near the centromere. These findings have practical applications for experimental design. The use of exclusively female meiosis in a positional cloning project maximizes the ratio of genetic map distance to physical distance. Alternatively, the use of exclusively male meiosis to localize a mutation initially to a linkage group or to maintain relationships of linked alleles minimizes recombination, thereby facilitating some types of analysis.
Singer
Amy
A
Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA.
Perlman
Hodel
H
Yan
YiLin
Y
Walker
Charlene
C
Corley-Smith
Graham
G
Brandhorst
Bruce
B
Postlethwait
John
J
D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*