Meiosis is a key feature of sexual reproduction. During meiosis homologous chromosomes replicate, recombine, and randomly segregate, followed by the segregation of sister chromatids to produce haploid cells. The unique genotypes of recombinant gametes are an essential substrate for the selection of superior genotypes in natural populations and in plant breeding. In this review we summarize current knowledge on meiosis in diverse monocot and dicot crop species and provide a comprehensive resource of cloned meiotic mutants in six crop species (rice, maize, wheat, barley, tomato, and Brassica species). Generally, the functional roles of meiotic proteins are conserved between plant species, but we highlight notable differences in mutant phenotypes. The physical lengths of plant chromosomes vary greatly; for instance, wheat chromosomes are roughly one order of magnitude longer than those of rice. We explore how chromosomal distribution for crossover recombination can vary between species. We conclude that research on meiosis in crops will continue to complement that in Arabidopsis, and alongside possible applications in plant breeding will facilitate a better understanding of how the different stages of meiosis are controlled in plant species.

中文翻译：

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作物减数分裂：从基因到基因组


减数分裂是有性生殖的一个关键特征。在减数分裂期间，同源染色体复制、重组并随机分离，随后姐妹染色单体分离以产生单倍体细胞。重组配子的独特基因型是在自然群体和植物育种中选择优良基因型的重要基础。在这篇综述中，我们总结了有关不同单子叶和双子叶作物物种减数分裂的最新知识，并提供了六种作物物种（水稻、玉米、小麦、大麦、番茄和芸苔属物种）的克隆减数分裂突变体的综合资源。一般来说，减数分裂蛋白的功能作用在植物物种之间是保守的，但我们强调突变表型的显着差异。植物染色体的物理长度差异很大；例如，小麦的染色体比水稻的染色体大约长一个数量级。我们探索交叉重组的染色体分布在物种之间如何变化。我们的结论是，作物减数分裂的研究将继续补充拟南芥的减数分裂，并且在植物育种中的可能应用将有助于更好地了解植物物种减数分裂的不同阶段是如何控制的。