Meiotic recombination is an important source of genetic diversity. Using immunolocalization of several meiotic proteins at the spreads of male pachytene cells, we estimated the number of recombination nodules per cell and their distribution along the macrochromosome 1 of the , , , and . The macrochromosomes of the two former species have metapolycentromeres, composed of several centromeric domains.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe last decade was marked by a steep rise in avian studies at genomic and cellular levels. Cell lines are important tools for in vitro studies in cell biology and cytogenetics. We developed a simple method of primary somatic cell culture establishment from the ovaries of the great tits () and testes of ten Passerine species, characterized the cellular composition of the ovary-derived lines using RT-PCR and immunolocalization of the tissue-specific markers and tested the efficiency of two methods of genetic transformation of the ovary-derived cell line.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGermline-restricted chromosomes (GRCs) are accessory chromosomes that occur only in germ cells. They are eliminated from somatic cells through programmed DNA elimination during embryo development. GRCs have been observed in several unrelated animal taxa and show peculiar modes of non-Mendelian inheritance and within-individual elimination.
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