Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

Published on: April 10, 2018

A method to screen for meiotic drive using embryonic markers.

Benjamin K McCormick¹, Daniel A Barbash¹

¹Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology

|June 5, 2026

Summary

Meiotic drivers, selfish genetic elements, can spread even if harmful. This study introduces a new method to detect these drivers in fruit fly embryos before fitness effects mask their transmission.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Correlated gene copy number changes in a seminal fluid protein network in <i>Drosophila</i>.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

The Stellate meiotic drive system of Drosophila melanogaster is active in contemporary populations.

Genetics·2026

Same author

The Structure of Simple Satellite Variation in the Human Genome and Its Correlation With Centromere Ancestry.

Genome biology and evolution·2024

Same author

Testing the Drosophila maternal haploid gene for functional divergence and a role in hybrid incompatibility.

G3 (Bethesda, Md.)·2022

Same author

Stonewall prevents expression of ectopic genes in the ovary and accumulates at insulator elements in D. melanogaster.

PLoS genetics·2022

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Genetics

Background:

Meiotic drivers are genetic elements that bias their own inheritance during gamete formation.
These drivers can spread in populations despite potentially reducing overall host fitness, leading to co-evolutionary conflicts.
Understanding meiotic drive is crucial for explaining rapid evolution of reproductive systems and genomes.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a novel method for detecting meiotic drivers.
To overcome challenges in distinguishing meiotic drive from viability effects.
To enable systematic screening of meiotic drivers in wild-derived populations.

Main Methods:

Utilized fluorescent markers in wild-derived *Drosophila melanogaster* embryos.
Implemented a technique to induce embryonic arrest at a standardized developmental stage.

More Related Videos

Mouse Oocyte Microinjection, Maturation and Ploidy Assessment

Mouse Oocyte Microinjection, Maturation and Ploidy Assessment

Published on: July 23, 2011

Application of Mouse Parthenogenetic Haploid Embryonic Stem Cells as a Substitute of Sperm

Application of Mouse Parthenogenetic Haploid Embryonic Stem Cells as a Substitute of Sperm

Published on: November 19, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

Using Mouse Oocytes to Assess Human Gene Function During Meiosis I

Published on: April 10, 2018

Mouse Oocyte Microinjection, Maturation and Ploidy Assessment

Mouse Oocyte Microinjection, Maturation and Ploidy Assessment

Published on: July 23, 2011

Application of Mouse Parthenogenetic Haploid Embryonic Stem Cells as a Substitute of Sperm

Application of Mouse Parthenogenetic Haploid Embryonic Stem Cells as a Substitute of Sperm

Published on: November 19, 2020

Quantified allele transmission by comparing wild-derived alleles to fluorescently marked homologs in early embryos.

Main Results:

Successfully demonstrated proof-of-concept for the developed driver detection approach.
Identified potential meiotic drivers by observing skewed allele transmission in early embryos.
Established a method to detect drive before significant fitness differences manifest.

Conclusions:

The presented method offers a robust approach for detecting meiotic drivers at the embryonic stage.
This technique facilitates the study of meiotic drive dynamics and its evolutionary consequences.
Future improvements can enhance the scope and accuracy of driver detection.