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. 1989 Aug;122(4):783–791. doi: 10.1093/genetics/122.4.783

Premeiotic Change of Nucleolus Organizer Size in Neurospora

D K Butler 1, R L Metzenberg 1
PMCID: PMC1203754  PMID: 2527181

Abstract

We have investigated the heritability of nucleolus organizer region (NOR) size in Neurospora crassa. By pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, we followed in genetic crosses the size of the normal or ``terminal'' NORs and the size of a small interstitial NOR. Tetrad analysis revealed that changes in NOR size occur frequently in the sexual phase. Moreover, most size changes occurred in the period between fertilization and meiosis, although some changes occurred during and after meiosis. Unexpectedly, increases and decreases in NOR size were not equally frequent: decreases were more common. The NOR size changes generated during meiosis were not the result of unequal crossing over between NORs on homologous chromosomes.

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Selected References

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