Accurate segregation of chromosomes during meiosis requires physical links between homologs. These links are usually established through chromosome pairing, synapsis, and recombination, which occur during meiotic prophase. How chromosomes pair with their homologous partners is one of the outstanding mysteries of meiosis. Surprisingly, experimental evidence indicates that different organisms have found more than one way to accomplish this feat. Whereas some species depend on recombination machinery to achieve homologous pairing, others are able to pair and synapse their homologs in the absence of recombination. To ensure specific pairing between homologous chromosomes, both recombination-dependent and recombination-independent mechanisms must strike the proper balance between forces that promote chromosome interactions and activities that temper the promiscuity of those interactions. The initiation of synapsis is likely to be a tightly regulated step in a process that must be mechanically coupled to homolog pairing.

中文翻译：

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分裂的前奏。

在减数分裂过程中准确分离染色体需要同源物之间的物理联系。这些联系通常是通过染色体配对、联会和重组建立的，这些发生在减数分裂前期。染色体如何与其同源伙伴配对是减数分裂的未解之谜之一。令人惊讶的是，实验证据表明，不同的生物体已经找到了不止一种方法来完成这一壮举。有些物种依靠重组机制来实现同源配对，而其他物种则能够在没有重组的情况下配对和突触它们的同源物。为了确保同源染色体之间的特定配对，依赖重组和不依赖重组的机制都必须在促进染色体相互作用的力量和抑制这些相互作用混杂的活动之间取得适当的平衡。突触的启动可能是一个必须与同源配对机械耦合的过程中受到严格调控的步骤。