Genetic Control of Chromosome Synapsis in Mice Heterozygous for a Paracentric Inversion

Abstract

Frequencies of formation of inversion loops and their relative sizes were studied in laboratory mice heterozygous at paracentric inversion In1(1)Rk in chromosome 1, depending on the genetic background. Homozygotes In1/In1 were crossed with mice from five inbred strains (A/HeJ, BALB/cJ, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6J, DBA2/J). The frequency of formation of inversion loops, their relative sizes, and the dependence of these parameters on the stage of pachitene were analyzed on electron-microscopic slides of spread spermatocytes in first-generation hybrids. It was shown that the genetic background and cross direction statistically significantly influenced the duration of individual pachitene stages and the frequency of inversion loops, but not relative loop size. Using a database on SNP distribution in the inbred strains examined, we carried out in silico mapping of genes affecting the genotype-dependent characters. We have found that the efficiency of synapsis in the inversion does not depend on interstrain differences in homology of the chromosome 1 region involved in the inversion. Genes controlling the inversion loop frequency in the inversion heterozygotes were mapped to chromosome 7, and genes controlling the duration of individual pachitene stages, to chromosomes 2 and 5.