Essential role of Fkbp6 in male fertility and homologous chromosome pairing in meiosis

Meiosis is a critical stage of gametogenesis in which alignment and synapsis of chromosomal pairs occur, allowing for the recombination of maternal and paternal genomes. Here we show that FK506 binding protein (Fkbp6) localizes to meiotic chromosome cores and regions of homologous chromosome synapsis. Targeted inactivation of Fkbp6 in mice results in aspermic males and the absence of normal pachytene spermatocytes. Moreover, we identified the deletion of Fkbp6 exon 8 as the causative mutation in spontaneously male sterile as/as mutant rats. Loss of Fkbp6 results in abnormal pairing and misalignments between homologous chromosomes, nonhomologous partner switches, and autosynapsis of X chromosome cores in meiotic spermatocytes. Fertility and meiosis are normal in Fkbp6 mutant females. Thus, Fkbp6 is a component of the synaptonemal complex essential for sex-specific fertility and for the fidelity of homologous chromosome pairing in meiosis.     

Site-specific recombination between homologous chromosomes in Drosophila

The ability to mark a cell and its descendants genetically so that the resulting cell clone can be distinguished from neighboring cells facilitates studies in animal biology and development. A method of generating clones by inducing homologous mitotic recombination in Drosophila with a site-specific yeast recombinase is described. This method allows for frequent mosaicism after mitotic exchange is induced at predefined sites in the genome.     

Transient homologous chromosome pairing marks the onset of X inactivation

Mammalian X inactivation turns off one female X chromosome to enact dosage compensation between XX and XY individuals. X inactivation is known to be regulated in cis by Xite, Tsix, and Xist, but in principle the two Xs must also be regulated in trans to ensure mutually exclusive silencing. Here, we demonstrate that interchromosomal pairing mediates this communication. Pairing occurs transiently at the onset of X inactivation and is specific to the X-inactivation center. Deleting Xite and Tsix perturbs pairing and counting/choice, whereas their autosomal insertion induces de novo X-autosome pairing. Ectopic X-autosome interactions inhibit endogenous X-X pairing and block the initiation of X-chromosome inactivation. Thus, Tsix and Xite function both in cis and in trans. We propose that Tsix and Xite regulate counting and mutually exclusive choice through X-X pairing.     

缘蝽总科4种雄性昆虫减数分裂期染色体形态分析

【目的】探讨缘蝽总科精巢形态、减数分裂染色体行为差异,为半翅目的细胞分类学发展提供基础资料。【方法】采用显微形态解剖法和染色体制片法,分析了缘蝽总科4种昆虫黄边迷缘蝽Myrmus lateralis Hsioa,1964、褐伊缘蝽Rhopalus sapporensis(Matsumura,1905)、稻棘缘蝽Cletus punctiger(Dallas,1852)和斑背安缘蝽An-oplocnemis binotata Distant,1918的精巢和减数分裂期染色体及精子形态的差异。【结果】减数分裂各期缘蝽总科3亚科间和4属种间精巢在腹腔中的位置无明显差异,但其排列方式、形状、大小、颜色及输精管粗细均具明显差异,精巢大小与个体大小成反比。各亚科、属种减数分裂各期染色体行为相似,但形态不同。减数分裂各期染色体形态、排列方式具有亚科、属种间差异性。缘蝽总科昆虫单倍染色体数为n(♂)=7(5A+m+XO),均具有典型"O"型交叉。褐伊缘蝽和稻棘缘蝽具有B染色体。精子形态相似,但弯曲度大小在亚科间、属种间有差异。【结论】缘蝽总科精巢形态、减数分裂各期染色体形态可作为缘蝽总科的科、亚科、属种间的分类特征。     

Antisense RNA directed against the 3' noncoding region prevents dormant mRNA activation in mouse oocytes

Primary mouse oocytes contain untranslated stable messenger RNA for tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). During meiotic maturation, this maternal mRNA undergoes a 3'-polyadenylation, is translated, and is degraded. Injections of maturing oocytes with different antisense RNA's complementary to both coding and noncoding portions of t-PA mRNA all selectively blocked t-PA synthesis. RNA blot analysis of t-PA mRNA in injected, matured oocytes suggested a cleavage of the RNA.RNA hybrid region, yielding a stable 5' portion, and an unstable 3' portion. In primary oocytes, the 3' noncoding region was susceptible to cleavage, while the other portions of the mRNA were blocked from hybrid formation until maturation occurred. Injection of antisense RNA complementary to 103 nucleotides of its extreme 3' untranslated region was sufficient to prevent the polyadenylation, translational activation, and destabilization of t-PA mRNA. These results demonstrate a critical role for the 3' noncoding region of a dormant mRNA in its translational recruitment during meiotic maturation of mouse oocytes.     

Localization of 5S RNA genes on Drosophila chromosomes by RNA-DNA hybridization

[(3)H]RNA with a high specific activity was prepared from larvae of Drosophila melanogaster grown 4 days in contact with [(3)H]uridine. Purified tritiated 5S RNA was annealed to the DNA of polytene chromosomes, which had been denatured in formamide. The 5S RNA genes are placed within the region 56E-F of the right arm of chromosome 2. This localization was determined from autoradiographs, where the radioactivity from hybrids of [(3)H]RNA and DNA was confined to the 56E-F segment.     

Role for piRNAs and noncoding RNA in de novo DNA methylation of the imprinted mouse Rasgrf1 locus

Genomic imprinting causes parental origin-specific monoallelic gene expression through differential DNA methylation established in the parental germ line. However, the mechanisms underlying how specific sequences are selectively methylated are not fully understood. We have found that the components of the PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway are required for de novo methylation of the differentially methylated region (DMR) of the imprinted mouse Rasgrf1 locus, but not other paternally imprinted loci. A retrotransposon sequence within a noncoding RNA spanning the DMR was targeted by piRNAs generated from a different locus. A direct repeat in the DMR, which is required for the methylation and imprinting of Rasgrf1, served as a promoter for this RNA. We propose a model in which piRNAs and a target RNA direct the sequence-specific methylation of Rasgrf1.     

Accelerated evolution of conserved noncoding sequences in humans

Changes in gene regulation likely influenced the profound phenotypic divergence of humans from other mammals, but the extent of adaptive substitution in human regulatory sequences remains unknown. We identified 992 conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs) with a significant excess of human-specific substitutions. These accelerated elements were disproportionately found near genes involved in neuronal cell adhesion. To assess the uniqueness of human noncoding evolution, we examined CNSs accelerated in chimpanzee and mouse. Although we observed a similar enrichment near neuronal adhesion genes in chimpanzee, the accelerated CNSs themselves exhibited almost no overlap with those in human, suggesting independent evolution toward different neuronal phenotypes in each species. CNSs accelerated in mouse showed no bias toward neuronal cell adhesion. Our results indicate that widespread cis-regulatory changes in human evolution may have contributed to uniquely human features of brain development and function.     

Completion of meiosis in uninseminated eggs of Drosophila melanogaster

Contrary to earlier statements, meiosis goes to completion in "Linfertilized" eggs of Drosophila melanogaster. Evidence suggests that this is not only characteristic of the strain examined but of the species as a whole and of other Drosophila species as well.     

The magnon pairing mechanism of superconductivity in cuprate ceramics

The magnon pairing mechanism is derived to explain the high-temperature superconductivity of both the La2-xSrxCu(1)O(4) and Y(1)Ba(2)Cu(3)O(7) systems. Critical features include (i) a one- or two-dimensional lattice of linear Cu-O-Cu bonds that contribute to large antiferromagnetic (superexchange) coupling of the Cu(II)(d(9)) orbitals; (ii) holes in the oxygen ppi bands [rather than Cu(III)(d(8))] leading to high mobility hole conduction; and (iii) strong ferromagnetic coupling between oxygen ppi holes and adjacent Cu(II)(d(9)) electrons. The ferromagnetic coupling of the conduction electrons with copper d spins induces the attractive interaction responsible for the superconductivity, leading to triplet-coupled pairs called "tripgems." The disordered Heisenberg lattice of antiferromagnetically coupled copper d spins serves a role analogous to the phonons in a conventional system. This leads to a maximum transition temperature of about 200 K. For La(1.85)Sr(0.15)Cu(1)O(4), the energy gap is in excellent agreement with experiment. For Y(1)Ba(2)Cu(3)O(7), we find that both the CuO sheets and the CuO chains can contribute to the supercurrent.     

二、四倍体青花菜花粉母细胞减数分裂比较

观察二、四倍体青花菜花粉母细胞减数分裂过程并对分裂各时期参数进行统计分析.结果表明,同源四倍体花粉母细胞减数分裂过程与二倍体相比,中期Ⅰ染色体构型复杂,有多价体、四价体、三价体、二价体和单价体;中期Ⅰ及中期Ⅱ有部分染色体没有排列在赤道板上;后期Ⅰ及后期Ⅱ出现落后染色体、染色体桥及断片;后期Ⅱ和末期Ⅱ有染色体不同步分离及不等分裂的现象;四分体时期还出现二分体、三分体、含微核的异常四分体及多分体.同源四倍体花粉母细胞减数分裂平均异常频率高达31.5%,二倍体则只有10.2%的细胞表现异常,说明同源四倍体遗传稳定性比二倍体差,减数分裂不正常是同源四倍体青花菜育性降低的细胞学原因.     

Transient expression of homologous genes in Drosophila cells

A cloned Drosophila heat shock protein 22 gene was transfected into two independently established Drosophila cell lines. Each line carried a different heat shock protein 22 allele, distinguishable by electrophoresis of the protein. The transfected gene was not expressed at 25 degrees C but could be induced at 36 degrees C. In one line, two heat shock protein 22 electromorphs were synthesized.     

Observation of the pairing gap in a strongly interacting Fermi gas

We studied fermionic pairing in an ultracold two-component gas of 6Li atoms by observing an energy gap in the radio-frequency excitation spectra. With control of the two-body interactions through a Feshbach resonance, we demonstrated the dependence of the pairing gap on coupling strength, temperature, and Fermi energy. The appearance of an energy gap with moderate evaporative cooling suggests that our full evaporation brought the strongly interacting system deep into a superfluid state.     

Role of Polo-like kinase CDC5 in programming meiosis I chromosome segregation

Meiosis is a specialized cell division in which two chromosome segregation phases follow a single DNA replication phase. The budding yeast Polo-like kinase Cdc5 was found to be instrumental in establishing the meiosis I chromosome segregation program. Cdc5 was required to phosphorylate and remove meiotic cohesin from chromosomes. Furthermore, in the absence of CDC5 kinetochores were bioriented during meiosis I, and Mam1, a protein essential for coorientation, failed to associate with kinetochores. Thus, sister-kinetochore coorientation and chromosome segregation during meiosis I are coupled through their dependence on CDC5.     

Localization of sister chromatid exchanges in human chromosomes

The bromodeoxyuridine; sensitivity of 33258 Hoechst fluorescence allows microfluorometric analysis of sister chromatid exchanges in human metaphase chromosomes. The frequency of sister chromatid exchanges among chromosomes correlates with chromosome length. Exchanges appear to occur predominantly in interband regions, as defined by quinacrine fluorescence, or very near band-interband junctions. A few regions are involved unusually frequently.