Potential roles for centromere pairing in meiotic chromosome segregation.
One of the key differences between mitosis and meiosis is the necessity for exchange between homologous chromosomes. Crossing-over between homologous chromosomes is essential for proper meiotic chromosome segregation in most organisms, serving the purpose of linking chromosomes to their homologous partners until they segregate from one another at anaphase I. In several organisms it has been shown that occasional pairs of chromosomes that have failed to experience exchange segregate with reduced fidelity compared to exchange chromosomes, but do not segregate randomly. Such observations support the notion that there are mechanisms, beyond exchange, that contribute to meiotic segregation fidelity. Recent findings indicate that active centromere pairing is important for proper kinetochore orientation and consequently, segregation of non-exchange chromosomes. Here we discuss the implications of these findings for the behavior of meiotic chromosomes.
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
Mara N
MN
Stewart
Dean S
DS
Dawson
D000818:Animals; D002503:Centromere / Q000378:metabolism*; D023902:Chromosome Pairing / Q000502:physiology*; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018386:Kinetochores / Q000378:metabolism; D008540:Meiosis