Variation in human meiotic recombination.
As recently as 20 years ago, there was relatively little information about the number and distribution of recombinational events in human meiosis, and we knew virtually nothing about factors affecting patterns of recombination. However, the generation of a variety of linkage-based genetic mapping tools and, more recently, cytological approaches that enable us to directly visualize the recombinational process in meiocytes, have led to an increased understanding of human meiosis. In this review, we discuss the different approaches used to study meiotic recombination in humans, our understanding of factors that affect the number and location of recombinational events, and clinical consequences of variation in the recombinational process.
Department of Genetics and Center for Human Genetics, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. audrey.lynn@case.edu
Audrey
A
Lynn
Terry
T
Ashley
Terry
T
Hassold
D000367:Age Factors; D003434:Crossing Over, Genetic; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D009630:Nondisjunction, Genetic; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors