Variation in patterns of human meiotic recombination

In the last 30 years it has become evident that patterns of meiotic recombination can be highly variable among individuals. The evidence comes from both low and high resolution analyses of hotspots of recombination in human and other species. In addition, a comparison of the recombination profiles in closely related species such as human and chimpanzee reveals essentially no correlation in the position of hotspots. Although the variation in hotspots of meiotic recombination is clearly documented, the mechanisms responsible for such variation are far from being understood. Here we will review the available evidence of natural variation in meiotic recombination and will discuss potential implications of this variation on the functional mechanisms of crossover formation and control.