Aberrations of the synaptonemal complexes in a male 46,XY,-14,+der(14)t(Y;14)

An unbalanced translocation 46,XY,-14,+der(14)t(Y;14)(q11;p11) was observed in an azoospermic male, with reduced spermatogenesis and absent spermiogenesis. At the pachytene stage of spermatocyte 1, the segments of the 2 Y chromosomes, fluorescent with quinacrine mustard, were always found close together. This proximity was also demonstrated by the study of synaptonemal complexes, which showed, in addition, an unusual hypercondensation of the proximal segment of bivalent 14, adjacent to the translocated Y chromosome. This allows us to propose that this hypercondensation might correspond to an inactivation of the translocated autosome, which could be responsible of the degeneration of the germ cells.