Anti-topoisomerase II recognizes meiotic chromosome cores

At meiotic prophase the chromatin becomes arranged in loops on newly formed chromosome cores. The cores of homologous chromosomes become aligned in parallel and thus form the synaptonemal complex (SC), a structure found in the meiocytes of nearly all recombinationally competent, sexually reproducing organisms. We report that two polyclonal antibodies against topoisomerase II (topo II), which recognize the mitotic metaphase chromosome scaffold give, at pachytene, a positive immunocytological reaction with the chromatin and, predominantly, with the cores and centromeric regions of the paired chromosomes. It therefore appears that during meiotic prophase, topo II - a DNA-binding enzyme implicated in transient double-strand breaks, chromosome condensation, and anaphase separation - is associated with the chromatin and SCs of the pachytene and diplotene chromosomes.