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Crossing Over

Crossing Over

Unlike mitosis, meiosis aims for genetic diversity in its creation of haploid gametes. Dividing germ cells first begin this process in prophase I, where each chromosome—replicated in S phase—is now composed of two sister chromatids (identical copies) joined centrally.
The homologous pairs of sister chromosomes—one from the maternal and one from the paternal genome—then begin to align alongside each other lengthwise, matching corresponding DNA positions in a process called synapsis.
In order to...

Gene Conversion

Gene Conversion

Other than maintaining genome stability via DNA repair, homologous recombination plays an important role in diversifying the genome. In fact, the recombination of sequences forms the molecular basis of genomic evolution. Random and non-random permutations of genomic sequences create a library of new amalgamated sequences. These newly formed genomes can determine the fitness and survival of cells. In bacteria, homologous and non-homologous types of recombination lead to the evolution of new...

Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation

Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation

Because the DNA segments are cut and reorganized in a direction-specific manner, site-specific recombination has emerged as an efficient genetic engineering technique. Flippase and Cyclization recombinases or Flp and Cre, respectively, are two members of the tyrosine recombinase family derived from bacteriophages, that are used to mediate site-specific DNA insertions, deletions, and targeted expression of proteins in mammalian cell lines.
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes

In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.
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Meiosis vs. Mitosis

Meiosis vs. Mitosis

Cell division is necessary for growth and reproduction in organisms. Mitosis aids cell growth and development by dividing somatic cells. In contrast, meiosis causes the division of germ cells and plays an essential role in sexual reproduction. Due to their unique functional requirements, mitosis and meiosis differ from each other in multiple aspects.
Before the start of mitosis and meiosis I, the cell synthesizes DNA, resulting in two homologous copies of each chromosome. DNA synthesis is...

Crossing Over

Crossing Over

Crossing over is the exchange of genetic information between homologous chromosomes during prophase I of meiosis I. Genetic recombination gives rise to allelic diversity in the newly formed daughter cells. In humans, crossing over produces genetically distinct haploid egg and sperm cells that undergo fertilization to produce unique offspring. Before cell division starts, the germ cell’s chromosome(s) undergo duplication in the S phase of the cell cycle. As the cells enter prophase I, duplicated...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

Recombination difference between sexes: a role for haploid selection.

Thomas Lenormand¹, Julien Dutheil

¹UMR 5175, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Montpellier, France. thomas.lenormand@cefe.cnrs.fr <thomas.lenormand@cefe.cnrs.fr>

|March 2, 2005

Summary

The autosomal recombination rate varies between sexes, a phenomenon not explained by sex chromosomes alone. In plants, this difference, known as heterochiasmy, is driven by gametic selection between males and females.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary genetics
Reproductive biology
Plant genetics

Background:

The difference in autosomal recombination rates between male and female meiosis is a long-standing enigma in genetics.
The Haldane-Huxley rule, linking achiasmate meiosis in one sex to heterogametic sex, is not universally applicable, especially in heterochiasmate species and plants lacking distinct sex chromosomes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the drivers of heterochiasmy (differential recombination rates between sexes) in plants.
To determine if heteromorphic sex chromosomes influence the evolution of heterochiasmy in plants.
To explore the role of gametic selection in explaining sex-specific recombination rates.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of recombination rates in hermaphroditic plants.
Investigating the influence of sex chromosomes on recombination patterns.
Population genetic modeling to assess the impact of gametic selection.

Main Results:

In plants, heterochiasmy is primarily driven by differences in gametic selection between male and female gametes.
The presence of heteromorphic sex chromosomes does not significantly influence heterochiasmy in the studied plant species.
Findings challenge the hypothesis that sex chromosome evolution is the sole driver of recombination rate differences.

Conclusions:

Gametic selection provides a robust explanation for the evolution of sex-specific recombination rates in plants.
This study supports a population genetic framework for understanding the evolution of sex and recombination.
Recombination rate variation is not solely dependent on sex chromosome systems.