Open AccessHigher Intercellular Variation in Genome-Wide Recombination Rate in Female Mice
Author(s) -
April Peterson,
Bret A. Payseur
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
cytogenetic and genome research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.571
H-Index - 88
ISSN - 1424-8581
DOI - 10.1159/000516998
Subject(s) - biology , recombination , genetics , meiosis , homologous recombination , genome , subspecies , selection (genetic algorithm) , genetic recombination , genetic variation , gene , zoology , artificial intelligence , computer science
Meiotic recombination affects fertility, shuffles genomes, and modulates the effectiveness of natural selection. Despite conservation of the recombination pathway, the rate of recombination varies among individuals and along chromosomes. Recombination rate also differs among cells from the same organism, but this form of variation has received less attention. To identify patterns that characterize intercellular variation in the genome-wide recombination rate, we counted foci of the MLH1 recombination-associated protein in oocytes and spermatocytes from a panel of wild-derived inbred strains of house mice. Females show higher intercellular variation in MLH1 focus count than males from the same inbred strains. This pattern is consistent across strains from multiple subspecies, including 2 strains in which the average MLH1 focus count is higher in males. The sex difference in genome-wide recombination rate we report suggests that selection targeting recombination rate will be more efficient in males than in females.