Crossing over is rarely associated with mitotic intragenic recombination in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Chromosomal rearrangements can result from crossing over during ectopic homologous recombination between dispersed repetitive DNA. We have previously shown that meiotic ectopic recombination between artificially dispersed ade6 heteroalleles in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe frequently results in chromosomal rearrangements. The same recombination substrates have been studied in mitotic recombination. Ectopic recombination rates in haploids were approximately 1-4 x 10(-6) recombinants per cell generation, similar to allelic recombination rates in diploids. In contrast, ectopic recombination rates in heterozygous diploids were 2.5-70 times lower than allelic recombination or ectopic recombination in haploids. These results suggest that diploid-specific factors inhibit ectopic recombination. Very few crossovers occurred in ade6 mitotic recombination, either allelic or ectopic. Allelic intragenic recombination was associated with 2% crossing over, and ectopic recombination between multiple different pairing partners showed 1-7% crossing over. These results contrast sharply with the 35-65% crossovers associated with meiotic ade6 recombination and suggest either differential control of resolution of recombination intermediates or alternative pathways of recombination in mitosis and meiosis.

Squamous-lined cysts of the pancreas: lymphoepithelial cysts, dermoid cysts (teratomas), and accessory-splenic epidermoid cysts.

In the pancreas, 3 types of morphologically similar lesions may present as "squamous cysts": Lymphoepithelial cysts, dermoid cysts (monodermal teratomas), and epidermoid cysts in intrapancreatic accessory spleen. Lymphoepithelial cysts (LECs) are seen predominantly in men (M/F: 4/1) and in adulthood (mean age, 56, and range, 35 to 74 years). They may occur at any site of the organ (head, body, or tail). LECs are well-delineated cysts that may be multilocular (60%) or unilocular (40%), and they are characterized microscopically by stratified squamous epithelium surrounded by a band of mature lymphoid tissue with intervening well-formed germinal centers. Solid lymphoepithelial clusters are seldom seen. The pathogenesis of LECs is unclear; clinical diseases that are known to be associated with their counterparts in the salivary glands such as Sjogren disease or human immunodeficiency virus have not been documented for the LECs of the pancreas. The second type of squamous-lined cyst in the pancreas is the epidermoid cyst arising in intrapancreatic accessory spleen. These are located almost exclusively in the tail of the pancreas, in the fourth decade of life (mean age = 38). Their mean size is 4.5 cm (range, 2.3 to 6.5). In some cases, the cyst lining may be partly mucinous. Dermoid cysts of the pancreas are also rare. The cases that appear to be true dermoid cysts occur in a younger age group (mean age, 23, range, 2 to 53 years), and in contrast with LEC, there is no gender predominance. Mucinous epithelium, respiratory-type mucosa and sebaceous units are more readily identifiable in dermoid cysts, and they may contain hair. Subepithelial lymphoid tissue is not a feature. They are sometimes complicated by suppurative infections. The importance of these lesions is in their distinction from other cystic neoplasms, especially mucinous cystic tumors.