Meiotic studies of a human male carrier of the common translocation, t(11;22), suggests postzygotic selection rather than preferential 3:1 MI segregation as the cause of liveborn offspring with an unbalanced translocation.

The t(11;22)(q23;q11) translocation is the only non-Robertsonian rearrangement for which there are a large number of unrelated families, apparently with the same breakpoints. These families most often have been ascertained through an abnormal child with the karyotype 47,XX or XY, +der(22) t(11;22)(q23;q11). To explain the high incidence of 3:1 segregants, rarely seen in offspring of carriers of other reciprocal translocations, a number of theoretical models have been suggested. We have used both electron microscope analysis of the synaptonemal complex (SC) and dual-color FISH to investigate the meiotic chromosome behavior in a male carrier of the translocation who has the karyotype 46,XY, t(11;22)(q23;q11). Chromosome synapsis, first-meiotic chiasma configuration, and segregation behavior of this translocation have been analyzed directly. Examination of SCs by electron microscopy showed pachytene-cross formation in 49/50 nuclei. Approximately 50% (26/50) revealed a classical fully synapsed quadrivalent. A proportion of these (10/26), however, showed some central asymmetry, suggesting heterologous synapsis. The remaining cells appeared to have incomplete synapsis. FISH analysis showed only quadrivalents in all 100 metaphase I nuclei. The chiasma frequency was increased within the interstitial segments, in comparison with the same region in normal bivalents. All types of segregation category were found in metaphase II nuclei. There was no indication of preferential 3:1 anaphase I segregation. We conclude that the +der(22) constitution in offspring of carriers of t(11;22)(q23;q11) is not likely to be due to meiotic 3:1 segregation being especially common. Rather, the +der(22) constitution is more likely to be the result of postzygotic selection against other unbalanced karyotypes.