Torsional Turning Motion of Chromosomes as an Accelerating Force to Align Homologous Chromosomes during Meiosis

Homologous sets of parental chromosomes must pair during meiosis to produce recombined sets of chromosomes for their progeny. This is accompanied by nuclear oscillatory movements. This study aims to elucidate the significance of these movements with a model, wherein external force is applied to the oscillating nucleus and via hydrodynamic interactions within the nucleus. Simulations revealed that a major force for aligning homologous chromosomes is the length-dependent sorting during chromosomal torsional turning, which occurs when the nucleus reverses the direction of its movement.