This Month in Genetics

Chromosome recombination is a critical process for ensuring proper chromosome segregation. It provides the necessary tension at the kinetochore to orient the homologous chromosomes before the first meiotic division and keeps them together until it ’s time for the homologs to separate. Although as far as we know the basic process of recombination is the same in males and females, differences have been documented in terms of the number and distribution of crossover events in sperm and oocytes. In fact, although the number of crossover initiat ions, as marked by MLH1 foci, is higher in female germ cells, the frequency of bivalents without a completed crossover event is paradoxically also higher in females.
Source: The American Journal of Human Genetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Editors' Corner Source Type: research
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