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There are two popular and overlapping theories that explain the origins of crossing-over, coming from the different theories on the origin of meiosis.The first theory rests upon the idea that meiosis evolved as another method of DNA repair, and thus crossing-over is a novel way to replace possibly damaged sections of DNA. [9]
Gene conversion is the process by which one DNA sequence replaces a homologous sequence such that the sequences become identical after the conversion. [1] Gene conversion can be either allelic, meaning that one allele of the same gene replaces another allele, or ectopic, meaning that one paralogous DNA sequence converts another.
Crossing over requires a DNA double-stranded break followed by strand invasion of the homolog and subsequent repair. [3] Initiation sites for recombination are usually identified by mapping crossing over events through pedigree analysis or through analysis of linkage disequilibrium .
During this condensation and alignment period in meiosis, the homologous chromosomes undergo a break in their double-stranded DNA at the same locations, followed by a recombination of the now fragmented parental DNA strands into non-parental combinations, known as crossing over. [22]
Unequal crossing over is the process most responsible for creating regional gene duplications in the genome. [1] Repeated rounds of unequal crossing over cause the homogenization of the two sequences. With the increase in the duplicates, unequal crossing over can lead to dosage imbalance in the genome and can be highly deleterious. [1] [2]
Crossover interference is the term used to refer to the non-random placement of crossovers with respect to each other during meiosis.The term is attributed to Hermann Joseph Muller, who observed that one crossover "interferes with the coincident occurrence of another crossing over in the same pair of chromosomes, and I have accordingly termed this phenomenon ‘interference’."
Genetic linkage is the tendency of DNA sequences that are close together on a chromosome to be inherited together during the meiosis phase of sexual reproduction.Two genetic markers that are physically near to each other are unlikely to be separated onto different chromatids during chromosomal crossover, and are therefore said to be more linked than markers that are far apart.
Resolution of the DNA recombination intermediate into a crossover exchanges DNA segments between the two homologous chromosomes at a site called a chiasma (plural: chiasmata). This physical strand exchange and the cohesion between the sister chromatids along each chromosome ensure robust pairing of the homologs in diplotene phase.