A pericentric inversion in the mouse

Abstract

A pericentric inversion induced in a Robertsonian chromosome was recovered and analyzed in a male heterozygous for the rearrangement. Identification was made from chromosome banding and confirmed by synaptonemal complex(SC) analyses. From the former, the chromosome was identified as Rb4Bnr. The inversion involves about 34% of the chromosome length, and is designated In(11.13LS)29Rk. Analysis of SC inversion loops gave break points at 0.20 in the short arm and 0.54 in the long arm. Inhibition of homologous synapsis in the inversion was observed at zygotene and early pachytene, while synaptic adjustment was found to lead to heterologous SC formation at late pachytene. The inversion is believed to be causally related to the reduction in fertility observed in the carriers.