Evolutionary mysteries in meiosis

Thomas Lenormand*, Jan Engelstädter, Susan E. Johnston, Erik Wijnker, Christoph R. Haag

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

105 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Meiosis is a key event of sexual life cycles in eukaryotes. Its mechanistic details have been uncovered in several model organisms, and most of its essential features have received various and often contradictory evolutionary interpretations. In this perspective, we present an overview of these often ‘weird’ features. We discuss the origin of meiosis (origin of ploidy reduction and recombination, two-step meiosis), its secondary modifications (in polyploids or asexuals, inverted meiosis), its importance in punctuating life cycles (meiotic arrests, epigenetic resetting, meiotic asymmetry, meiotic fairness) and features associated with recombination (disjunction constraints, heterochiasmy, crossover interference and hotspots). We present the various evolutionary scenarios and selective pressures that have been proposed to account for these features, and we highlight that their evolutionary significance often remains largely mysterious. Resolving these mysteries will likely provide decisive steps towards understanding why sex and recombination are found in the majority of eukaryotes.

Original languageEnglish
Article number20160001
JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. Series B, Biological Sciences
Volume371
Issue number1706
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Keywords

  • Automixis
  • Epigenetics
  • Genetic conflict
  • Modified meiosis
  • Origin of meiosis
  • Recombination hotspots

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