Answer to Wang and Luo, "Polyploidization increases meiotic recombination frequency in Arabidopsis: a close look at statistical modelling and data analysis"

See correspondence article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/10/30/ webcite [WEBCITE] and the original research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/9/24 webcite [WEBCITE].Meiosis is an obligate process during sexual reproduction that involves the combination of parental genomes and the coordinated segregation of the recombined chromosomes to the gametes. Polyploidy, the presence of more than two sets of chromosomes per nucleus, has direct and fundamental consequences on meiosis, which are gradually and individually different between the extreme cases of auto- and allopolyploids (multiplied chromosome sets or combination of slightly different chromosome sets). Polyploidy has a major impact on the segregation of genotypes and phenotypes in progeny. In a recent study [1], we described that polyploidy increased the frequency of meiotic recombination between two genetically linked transgenes providing seed-specific fluorescence. This increase was seen in reciprocal crosses of genetically identical diploid and autotetraploid Arabidopsis thaliana, but also in reconstituted hybrids resembling allotetraploid A. suecica. In a comment, Wang and Luo [2] question the validity of the data analysis after subjecting the experimental data to a different calculation method.It is correct that genetic segregation analysis in autotetraploids requires considering the possibility of multivalent formation during pachytene and a potential double reduction of genetic loci. Both special conditions of autotetraploid meiosis are mentioned in [1], p. 1-2. We agree that a more detailed tetrasomic linkage analysis could improve the data analysis for segregation in autotetraploids. We lack the mathematical expertise to critically review the different theoretical models presented in [2] and refer to a detailed comment in [3]. However, the evaluation of meiotic recombination suggested by [2] also results in significantly higher rates in auto- and allopolyploids on one side and diploid