Investigating Meiotic Drive Mechanisms: Kinetochore-Microtubule Attachments and Chromosome Segregation Bias

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Interdisciplinary Centers, Units and Projects::Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF)::Fall Research Expo
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Biology
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Meiosis
Genetics
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2025-09-04
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Jung, Yein
Kumar, Deepanshu
Lampson, Michael
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Abstract

Meiotic drive is a phenomenon in which a genetic element distorts the transmission ratio, increasing its representation in gametes. During female meiosis I, selfish centromeres break the expected 50:50 Mendelian rule through asymmetric division. Centromeres with different strengths interact with distinct dynamics of stable versus dynamic microtubules, creating spindle asymmetry. Chromosomes with stronger (larger) centromeres exploit these asymmetries to orient themselves toward the egg side. To investigate the mechanisms underlying meiotic drive, experimental methods were developed to examine kinetochore-microtubule interactions in mouse oocytes. Using cold-induced destabilization assays and immunostaining of tubulin (microtubules) and Hec1 (kinetochores), the stability of KT-MT attachments at large versus small centromeres was assessed. This method establishes a framework for examining how centromere strength influences attachment dynamics, leading to segregation bias.

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2025-09-15
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This project was supported with funding from the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring (PURM) program.
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