Figure 1.—

Model for RNAi-mediated homolog pairing. Dispersed sequences, perhaps middle repeat or intercalary heterochromatin that function as a source of small RNA could function as distributed attachment points that mediate or stabilize homolog pairing. Since small RNAs are known to assemble on chromatin, small RNA/protein complexes could potentially mediate pairing by capturing nascent transcripts in trans. In this cartoon, a nascent transcript on one homolog is captured by small RNA/protein complexes assembled on the other homolog.