A resurgent phoenix--a hypothesis for the origin of meiosis.
The origin and evolution of sex is a great puzzle in biology, and meiosis is the core of sex. Here, we propose a new hypothesis that meiosis may have evolved by blending features of two responses that cells have to deal with double-strand-DNA breaks, recombinational repair and apoptosis. This hypothesis can explain some unsolved problems and is in agreement with some known molecular mechanisms, cytological phenomena, and the fossil records. Furthermore, it can predict some testable features of meiosis.
Li
Wei
W
Institute of Cell Biology, Lanzhou University, Gansu, People's Republic of China. leways@lzu.edu.cn
Zheng
Guo-Chang
GC
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair; D004261:DNA Replication; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008938:Mitosis; D008954:Models, Biological; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012723:Sex
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D018744:DNA, Plant; D004247:DNA