Summary
T(1;13)70H/+ translocation heretozygous mice were used for assessing heritability values for chiasma frequencies and the epididymal sperm count. The chiasma frequency estimates were based on 15 son-sire pairs, the translocation heterozygotes being maintained in a Swiss random-bred genetic background. The chiasma frequencies were scored separately for the T70H/+ derived multivalent, specific pairing segments within the multivalent: and the remaining bivalents. Chiasma counts within these specified parts of the genome were positively correlated. The heritability estimates, significantly greater than zero, ranged from 0·78–0·98, depending on the chromosome segments included. These results indicate a strong genetic control on a cellular basis for the formation of chiasmata in the mouse. Despite significantly positive correlations and regressions between the various chiasma frequencies and the sperm count (for which 29 pairs of observations were available), no significant heritability estimate for the sperm count was obtained. The relation between the chiasma frequency and the sperm count was weakest when the chiasma count was confined to a region of the translocation-caused multivalent in which the absence of a chiasma almost always resulted in the production of an univalent. This indicates that in the translocation heterozygotes used, the overall chiasma frequency has a greater predictive value for the sperm count than autosomal univalence alone.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Berry, R J. Beeckey, C V, and Searle, A G. 1973. Cytogenefic radiosensitivity and chiasma frequency in wild and laboratory mice. Muletion Res, 19, 129–131.
Bodmer, W F, and Parsons, P A. 1962. Linkage and recombination in evolution. Adv Genet, 11, 1–100.
de Boer, P. 1976. Male meiotic behaviour and male and female litter size in mice with the T(2;8)26H and T(l;13)70H reciprocal translations. Genet Ret, 27, 369–387.
de Boer, P., and Groen, A. 1974. Fertility and meiotic behaviour of male T70H tertiary irisomics of the mouse (Mus musculus). A case of preferential telomeric meiotic pairing in a mammal. Cytogenet Cell Genet, 13, 489–510.
de Boer, P. van der Hoeven, F A, and Chardon, J A P. 1976. The production, morphology, karyotypes and transport of spermatozoa from tertiary trisomic mice and the consequences for egg fertilization. J Reprod Pert, 48, 249–256.
Chaandley, A C. Edmond, P. Christie, S. Gowans, L. Fletcher, J. Frackiewicz, A, and Newton, M. 1975. Cytogenetics and infertility in man. I. Karyotype and seminal analysis. Am Bum Genet Land, 39, 231–254.
Chinnici, J P. 1971. Modification of recombination frequency in Drosophila. I. Selection for increased and decreased crossing over. Genetics, 69, 71–83.
Cohen, J. 1973. Cross-overs, sperm redundancy and their close association. Heredity, 31, 408–412.
Evanes, E P. Breckon, C, and Ford, C E. 1964. An air-drying method for meiotic preparations from mammalian testes. Cytogenetics, 3, 289–294.
Forejt, J. 1972. Chiasmata and crossing-over in the male mouse (Mus musclus) Suppression of recombination and chiasma frequencies in the ninth linkage group. Folia Biol, 161–170.
Hulten, M, Eliasson, R, and Tillinger, K G. 1970. Low chiasma count and other meiotic irregularities in two infertile 46,XY men with spermatogenic arrest. Hereditas, 65, 285–290.
Jones, G H. 1974. Correlated components of chiasma variation and the control of chiasma distribution in rye. Heredity, 32, 375–387.
Hulten, M, Eliasson, R, and Tillinger, K G. 1970. Low chiasma count and other meiotic irregularities in two infertile 46, XY men with spermatogenic arrest. Her editas, 65, 285–290.
Jones, G H. 1974. Correlated components of chiasma variation and the control of chiasma distribution in rye. Heredity, 32, 375–387.
Kyslikova, L, and Forejt, J. 1972. Chiasma frequency in three inbred strains of mice. Folia Biol, 18, 216–218.
Lyon, M F, and Meredith, R. 1966. Autosomal translocations causing male sterility and viable aneuploidy in the mouse. Cytogenetics, 5, 335–354.
Miklos, G L G. 1974. Sex-chromosome pairing and male fertility. Cytogenet Cell Genet, 13, 558–577.
Monesi, V. 1965. Synthetic activities during spermatogenesis in the mouse. Exp Cell Res, 39, 197–224.
Rees, H. 1955. Genotypic control of chromosome behaviour in rye. I. Inbred lines. Heredity, 9, 93–116.
Searle, A G. 1974. Nature and consequences of induced chromosome damage in mammals. Genetics, 78, 173–186.
Searle, A G, and Beeghey, C V. 1974. Sperm-count, egg-fertilization and dominant lethality after X-irradiation of mice. Mutation Res, 22, 63–72.
Shaw, D D. 1972. Genetic and environmental components of chiasma control. II. The response to selection in Schistocerca. Chromosoma, 37, 297–308.
Shaw, D D. 1974. Genetic and environmental components of chiasma control. III. Genetic analysis of chiasma frequency variation in two selected lines of Schistocerca gregaria Forsk. Chromosoma, 46, 365–374.
Sumner, A T. 1972. A simple technique for demonstrating centromeric heterochromatin. Exp Cell Res, 75, 304–306.
Sybenga, J. 1975. Meiotic configurations. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.
Wallace, H. 1974. Chiasmata have no effect on fertility. Heredity, 33, 423–428.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
de Boer, P., van der Hoeven, F. Son-sire regression based heritability estimates of chiasma frequency, using T70H mouse translocation heterozygotes, and the relation between univalence, chiasma frequency and sperm production. Heredity 39, 335–343 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1977.74
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1977.74