Mechanisms Of Nondisjunction Research Articles

Clustering of chromosomal aneuploidy and tracing of nondisjunction in man.

Chromosomal aneuploidy is the most frequent genetic damage observed in newborn children and originates as a rule from nondisjunction during maternal or paternal germ cell development. The error of chromosome segregation could be allocated in the past--at least in cases of 47,XXY--to maternal meiosis I (50%) or meiosis II (10%) and to paternal meiosis I (40%). Recent cytological improvements with various banding techniques enabled a further study on the origin of nondisjunction. Summarizing the published data one can argue that errors in Downs' syndrome are most often due to cleavage errors during maternal meiosis I. Approximately 70% of errors occur in oogenesis and only 30% in spermatogenesis. Maternal meiosis I seems also to be involved in most cases of fetal trisomy 16. Such a preferential missegregation of chromosomes offers the possibility of studying more closely the very mechanisms of nondisjunction in mammalian meiosis and early cleavages.

Meiotic Nondisjunction in the Mouse: Methodology for Genetic Testing and Comparison with Other Methods

Since trisomies produce adverse effects relatively late in development or even postnatally, they are an important component of the array of genetic damages that might be caused by environmental agents. Whole-chromosome aneuploidy (as opposed to breakage-derived aneuploidy) might come about secondarily from crossover depression, or could follow damage to the meiotic spindle or to kinetochores. For simplicity, the event—by whichever of the mechanisms—is referred to as meiotic nondisjunction (ND). A genetic method has been devised which is based on the facts that ND involving the sex chromosomes produces mostly viable mice, and that such exceptional animals can be externally recognized by the use of appropriate markers. The method is compared with the following other ND indicators: univalent and/or chiasma frequencies at M I; number of dyads at M II; extra sex chromosomes in spermatids; karyotypes in cleavage, morula, or blastocyst metaphases; and chromosome constitution of mid-gestation embryos. Some of the cytological endpoints are found to be unreliable. Various biological variables (germ-cell stage, sex, age) are examined with a view toward maximizing the chances for detecting induced nondisjunction. While experimental evidence on this question is equivocal, a consideration of the probable ND mechanisms suggests that the early spermatocyte (in stages including the premeiotic S phase) may be a favorable test object. The numerical sex-chromosome anomaly (NSA) method is useful not only in the study of ND but also in detecting breakage-derived chromosome losses induced in females, where the dominant lethal test is not easily applicable.

Meiotic nondisjunction in the mouse: methodology for genetic testing and comparison with other methods

Since trisomies produce adverse effects relatively late in development or even postnatally, they are an important component of the array of genetic damages that might be caused by environmental agents. Whole-chromosome aneuploidy (as opposed to breakage-derived aneuploidy) might come about secondarily from crossover depression, or could follow damage to the meiotic spindle or to kinetochores. For simplicity, the event-by whichever of the mechanisms-is referred to as meiotic nondisjunction (ND). A genetic method has been devised which is based on the facts that ND involving the sex chromosomes produces mostly viable mice, and that such exceptional animals can be externally recognized by the use of appropriate markers. The method is compared with the following other ND indicators: univalent and/or chiasma frequencies at M I; number of dyads at M II; extra sex chromosomes in spermatids; karyotypes in cleavage, morula, or blastocyst metaphases; and chromosome constitution of mid-gestation embryos. Some of the cytological endpoints are found to be unreliable. Various biological variables (germ-cell stage, sex, age) are examined with a view toward maximizing the chances for detecting induced nondisjunction. While experimental evidence on this question is equivocal, a consideration of the probable ND mechanisms suggests that the early spermatocyte (in stages including the premeiotic S phase) may be a favorable test object. The numerical sex-chromosome anomaly (NSA) method is useful not only in the study of ND but also in detecting breakage-derived chromosome losses induced in females, where the dominant lethal test is not easily applicable.

Non-random centromere division: a mechanism of non-disjunction causing aneuploidy?

Early centromere separation was investigated in 12 normal children, 14 patients with Down's syndrome and in 12 patients of children with autosomal trisomies. A significantly non-random centromere division of chromosomes was found in each of the cases. A higher frequency of early separated G chromosomes was observed in Down's syndrome. In 2 mothers of trisomy-18 patients, the early division of chromosomes 18, generally seen in normal individuals, could not be demonstrated. The possible assoication between altered sequence of centromere disision and non-disjunction needs further confirmation.

The cytology of Brachycome

Over 1,000 plants of B. dichromosomatica have been counted. 10% of these carried one, two or three B chromosomes. The B chromosome is large, and though it is not heteropycnotic it condenses precociously at mitosis. It behaves regularly at mitosis, and when two are present they pair regularly at meiosis. Non-disjunction and preferential distribution of the B to the generative nucleus occurs at the first pollen grain mitosis, with very high frequency. This is corroborated by data from crosses, which also indicate that the transmission of the B through the female gamete is normal. — The frequency of B chromosomes in marginal populations of var. dichromosomatica is significantly higher than in central populations. In one population of var. alba the frequency of Bs increased significantly after two very dry seasons. It is suggested that both these cases of increased frequency were in response to a selective advantage of plants with Bs under arid conditions. — Plants with one B chromosome appear to be less fit than plants with 2 Bs. The combination of the calculated effects of the nondisjunction mechanism and the inferred relative fitness of the 0B, 1B and 2B plants, provides a reasonable explanation of the observed frequencies of the 0B, 1B and 2B plants in the populations studied.

Total aneuploidy and age-related sex chromosome aneuploidy in cultured lymphocytes of normal men and women.

In PHA-cultured lymphocytes, about 8% of metaphases from 32 women were aneuploid compared to 4% of metaphases from 35 men. A significant part of this aneuploidy was characterized by sex chromosome involvement: in women, the loss of gain of X chromosomes; in men, the gain of X chromosomes and the loss or gain of Y chromosomes. The incidence of this aneuploidy was positively age-related for both sexes. Premature division of the X-chromosome centromere was closely associated with X-chromosome aneuploidy in women and men, and appeared to be the mechanism of non disjunction causing this aneuploidy. Premature centromere division (PCD) indicated a dysfunction of the X-chromosome centromere with aging, and this dysfunction was the basic cause of age-related aneuploidy. A similar mechanism of nondisjunction may operate for the Y chromosome of men, but could not be clearly demonstrated because of the low incidence of Y-chromosome aneuploidy. The balance of the aneuploidy was characterized by chromosome loss and the involvement of all chromosome groups. It was consistent with chromosome loss from metaphase cells damaged during preparation for cytogenetic examination.

A test of homology between the B chromosome of maize and abnormal chromosome 10, involving the control of nondisjunction in B's

Nondisjunction of B and B-translocation chromosomes occurs regularly in maize at the second pollen mitosis (Roman, 1947; Blackwood, 1956). The mechanism of nondisjunction was studied using the A-B interchange, TB-9b. The B9 chromosome of the interchange undergoes nondisjunction at the second pollen mitosis, while the 9B chromosome does not (Roman, 1947). It was shown that the 9B chromosome must be present in a plant for nondisjunction of the B9 to occur. This is consistent with the reports of Roman on TB-4a (1949) and Longley on TB-10a (1956). It was also demonstrated that the influence of the 9B chromosome is limited to pollen grains containing it, and does not extend to all the pollen of a plant.

Mechanism of non-disjunction of meiotic chromosomes and of degeneration of maturation spindles in eggs affected by intrafollicular overripeness.

La degenerescence des fibres en fuseau est proposee comme un facteur responsable de la non-disjonction des chromosomes meiotiques. Cette hypothese est basee sur l'observation, dans les œufs affectes par l'hypermaturite intrafolliculaire, de positions chromosomiques anormales pendant les metaphases meiotiques et de changements degeneratifs dans les fuseaux meiotiques.

Mechanisms of non-disjunction in man.

Mechanisms of non-disjunction in man.