Meiomitosis

Meiomitosis is an aberrant cellular division pathway through which cancer daughter cells following mitosis also inherit partially expressed meiotic machinery. Of note, meiosis is cellular division pathway in germ cells that promotes the recombination of large expanses of chromosomal DNA, potentially similar in size to those lost or gained in cancers.

In meiosis, homologous chromosomes are held together by cohesions, and after resolution of chiasma (the recombination crossover points with the other chromosome pair), the homologous chromosomes are segregated together. In normal mitosis, there are no chiasma and sister chromatids are directly separated.

References

1. Grichnik JM (2008) Melanoma, Nevogenesis, and Stem Cell Biology. J Invest Dermatol 128:2365-2380.