ABSTRACT & LINKS
REVIEW ARTICLE:
Bass HW (2003) Telomere dynamics unique to meiotic prophase: formation and
significance of the bouquet.
Cellular & Mol Life Sci (CMLS) vol 60:
[
CMLS online, vol 60(11)
|
PDF
]
ABSTRACT:
Telomeres carry out conserved and possibly
ancient functions in meiosis. During the specialized
prophase of meiosis I, meiotic prophase, telomeres cluster
on the nuclear envelope and move the diploid genetic
material around within the nucleus so that homologous
chromosomes can align two by two and efficiently recombine
with precision. This recombination is in turn required
for proper segregation of the homologs into viable
haploid daughter cells. The meiosis-specific telomere
clustering on the nuclear envelope defines the bouquet
stage, so named for its resemblance to the stems from a
bouquet of cut flowers. Here, a comparative analysis of
the literature on meiotic telomeres from a variety of different
species illustrates that the bouquet is nearly universal
among life cycles with sexual reproduction. The
bouquet has been well documented for over 100 years,
but our understanding of how it forms and how it functions
has only recently begun to increase. Early and recent
observations document the timing and provide clues
about the functional significance of these striking telomere
movements.
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