M. Sym led a study identifying Zip1 as a component required for the synaptonemal complex in budding yeast. In the reported mutants, homologous chromosomes could become associated, but normal assembly of the connecting synaptonemal structure failed.[ref]
ZIP1 is a synaptonemal complex protein required for meiotic chromosome synapsis by M. Sym and others. 1993, abstract: paired homologues and defective synaptonemal-complex assembly
The experiment distinguished initial chromosome association from completion of chromosome synapsis. Those steps need not fail together. Combining a defined mutation with observations of chromosome structure made it possible to assign a role to a particular protein within a larger process of meiosis. The indexed byline is retained without guessing a full name.
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