1
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Patel B, Grobler M, Herrera A, Logari E, Ortiz V, Bhalla N. The conserved ATPase PCH-2 controls the number and distribution of crossovers by antagonizing crossover formation in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.13.607819. [PMID: 39185160 PMCID: PMC11343117 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.13.607819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Meiotic crossover recombination is essential for both accurate chromosome segregation and the generation of new haplotypes for natural selection to act upon. While the conserved role of the ATPase, PCH-2, during meiotic prophase has been enigmatic, a universal phenotype that is observed when pch-2 or its orthologs are mutated is a change in the number and distribution of meiotic crossovers. Here, we show that PCH-2 controls the number and distribution of crossovers by antagonizing crossover formation. This antagonism produces different effects at different stages of meiotic prophase: early in meiotic prophase, PCH-2 prevents double strand breaks from becoming crossovers, limiting crossovers at sites of initial DSB formation and homolog interactions. Later in meiotic prophase, PCH-2 winnows the number of crossover-eligible intermediates, contributing to the reinforcement of crossover-eligible intermediates, designation of crossovers and ultimately, crossover assurance. We also demonstrate that PCH-2 accomplishes this regulation through the meiotic HORMAD, HIM-3. Our data strongly support a model in which PCH-2's conserved role is to remodel meiotic HORMADs throughout meiotic prophase to destabilize crossover-eligible precursors, coordinate meiotic recombination with synapsis, and contribute to the progressive implementation of meiotic recombination, guaranteeing crossover control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhumil Patel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Maryke Grobler
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Alberto Herrera
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Elias Logari
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Valery Ortiz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Needhi Bhalla
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
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2
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Olaya I, Burgess SM, Rog O. Formation and resolution of meiotic chromosome entanglements and interlocks. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs262004. [PMID: 38985540 PMCID: PMC11267460 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.262004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Interactions between parental chromosomes during the formation of gametes can lead to entanglements, entrapments and interlocks between unrelated chromosomes. If unresolved, these topological constraints can lead to misregulation of exchanges between chromosomes and to chromosome mis-segregation. Interestingly, these configurations are largely resolved by the time parental chromosomes are aligned during pachytene. In this Review, we highlight the inevitability of topologically complex configurations and discuss possible mechanisms to resolve them. We focus on the dynamic nature of a conserved chromosomal interface - the synaptonemal complex - and the chromosome movements that accompany meiosis as potential mechanisms to resolve topological constraints. We highlight the advantages of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for understanding biophysical features of the chromosome axis and synaptonemal complex that could contribute to mechanisms underlying interlock resolution. In addition, we highlight advantages of using the zebrafish, Danio rerio, as a model to understand how entanglements and interlocks are avoided and resolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Olaya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sean M. Burgess
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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3
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Ahuja JS, Sandhu R, Huang L, Klein F, Börner GV. Temporal and Functional Relationship between Synaptonemal Complex Morphogenesis and Recombination during Meiosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.11.575218. [PMID: 38260343 PMCID: PMC10802607 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.11.575218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
During prophase of meiosis I, programmed double strand breaks (DSBs) are processed into crossovers, a critical requirement for segregation of homologous chromosomes (homologs) and genome haploidization in sexually reproducing organisms. Crossovers form via homologous recombination in close temporospatial association with morphogenesis of the synaptonemal complex (SC), a proteinaceous structure that connects paired homologs along their length during the pachytene stage. Synapsis and recombination are a paradigm for the interplay between higher order chromosome structure and DNA metabolism, yet their temporal and functional relationship remains poorly understood. Probing linkage between these processes in budding yeast, we show that SC assembly is associated with a distinct threshold number of unstable D-loops. The transition from bona fide paranemic D-loops to plectonemic DSB single end invasions (SEIs) is completed during midpachynema, when the SC is fully assembled. Double Holliday junctions (dHJs) form at the time of desynapsis and are resolved into crossovers during diplonema. The SC central element component Zip1 shepherds recombination through three transitions, including DSB first end strand exchange and second end capture, as well as dHJ resolution. Zip1 mediates SEI formation independent of its polymerization whereas precocious Zip1 assembly interferes with double Holliday junction resolution. Together, our findings indicate that the synaptonemal complex controls recombination while assembled but also beyond its disassembly, possibly by establishing spatial constraints at recombination sites.
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4
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Trivedi S, Blazícková J, Silva N. PARG and BRCA1-BARD1 cooperative function regulates DNA repair pathway choice during gametogenesis. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:12291-12308. [PMID: 36478097 PMCID: PMC9757042 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic chromosome segregation relies on programmed DNA double-strand break induction. These are in turn repaired by homologous recombination, generating physical attachments between the parental chromosomes called crossovers. A subset of breaks yields recombinant outcomes, while crossover-independent mechanisms repair the majority of lesions. The balance between different repair pathways is crucial to ensure genome integrity. We show that Caenorhabditis elegans BRC-1/BRCA1-BRD-1/BARD1 and PARG-1/PARG form a complex in vivo, essential for accurate DNA repair in the germline. Simultaneous depletion of BRC-1 and PARG-1 causes synthetic lethality due to reduced crossover formation and impaired break repair, evidenced by hindered RPA-1 removal and presence of aberrant chromatin bodies in diakinesis nuclei, whose formation depends on spo-11 function. These factors undergo a similar yet independent loading in developing oocytes, consistent with operating in different pathways. Abrogation of KU- or Theta-mediated end joining elicits opposite effects in brc-1; parg-1 doubles, suggesting a profound impact in influencing DNA repair pathway choice by BRC-1-PARG-1. Importantly, lack of PARG-1 catalytic activity suppresses untimely accumulation of RAD-51 foci in brc-1 mutants but is only partially required for fertility. Our data show that BRC-1/BRD-1-PARG-1 joint function is essential for genome integrity in meiotic cells by regulating multiple DNA repair pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Trivedi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Blazícková
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Nicola Silva
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +420 549 49 8033;
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5
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Láscarez-Lagunas LI, Nadarajan S, Martinez-Garcia M, Quinn JN, Todisco E, Thakkar T, Berson E, Eaford D, Crawley O, Montoya A, Faull P, Ferrandiz N, Barroso C, Labella S, Koury E, Smolikove S, Zetka M, Martinez-Perez E, Colaiácovo MP. ATM/ATR kinases link the synaptonemal complex and DNA double-strand break repair pathway choice. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4719-4726.e4. [PMID: 36137547 PMCID: PMC9643613 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are deleterious lesions, which must be repaired precisely to maintain genomic stability. During meiosis, programmed DSBs are repaired via homologous recombination (HR) while repair using the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway is inhibited, thereby ensuring crossover formation and accurate chromosome segregation.1,2 How DSB repair pathway choice is implemented during meiosis is unknown. In C. elegans, meiotic DSB repair takes place in the context of the fully formed, highly dynamic zipper-like structure present between homologous chromosomes called the synaptonemal complex (SC).3,4,5,6,7,8,9 The SC consists of a pair of lateral elements bridged by a central region composed of the SYP proteins in C. elegans. How the structural components of the SC are regulated to maintain the architectural integrity of the assembled SC around DSB repair sites remained unclear. Here, we show that SYP-4, a central region component of the SC, is phosphorylated at Serine 447 in a manner dependent on DSBs and the ATM/ATR DNA damage response kinases. We show that this SYP-4 phosphorylation is critical for preserving the SC structure following exogenous (γ-IR-induced) DSB formation and for promoting normal DSB repair progression and crossover patterning following SPO-11-dependent and exogenous DSBs. We propose a model in which ATM/ATR-dependent phosphorylation of SYP-4 at the S447 site plays important roles both in maintaining the architectural integrity of the SC following DSB formation and in warding off repair via the NHEJ repair pathway, thereby preventing aneuploidy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura I Láscarez-Lagunas
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Saravanapriah Nadarajan
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marina Martinez-Garcia
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julianna N Quinn
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Elena Todisco
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tanuj Thakkar
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Elizaveta Berson
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Don Eaford
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Oliver Crawley
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Alex Montoya
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Peter Faull
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Nuria Ferrandiz
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Consuelo Barroso
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Sara Labella
- McGill University, Biology Department, Stewart Biology Building, Room W5/24 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC H3A1B1, Canada
| | - Emily Koury
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Biology Building, Room 308, 129 E. Jefferson, Iowa City, IA 52242-1324, USA
| | - Sarit Smolikove
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Biology Building, Room 308, 129 E. Jefferson, Iowa City, IA 52242-1324, USA
| | - Monique Zetka
- McGill University, Biology Department, Stewart Biology Building, Room W5/24 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC H3A1B1, Canada
| | - Enrique Martinez-Perez
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Monica P Colaiácovo
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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6
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Guo H, Stamper EL, Sato-Carlton A, Shimazoe MA, Li X, Zhang L, Stevens L, Tam KCJ, Dernburg AF, Carlton PM. Phosphoregulation of DSB-1 mediates control of meiotic double-strand break activity. eLife 2022; 11:77956. [PMID: 35758641 PMCID: PMC9278955 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the first meiotic cell division, proper segregation of chromosomes in most organisms depends on chiasmata, exchanges of continuity between homologous chromosomes that originate from the repair of programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs) catalyzed by the Spo11 endonuclease. Since DSBs can lead to irreparable damage in germ cells, while chromosomes lacking DSBs also lack chiasmata, the number of DSBs must be carefully regulated to be neither too high nor too low. Here, we show that in Caenorhabditis elegans, meiotic DSB levels are controlled by the phosphoregulation of DSB-1, a homolog of the yeast Spo11 cofactor Rec114, by the opposing activities of PP4PPH-4.1 phosphatase and ATRATL-1 kinase. Increased DSB-1 phosphorylation in pph-4.1 mutants correlates with reduction in DSB formation, while prevention of DSB-1 phosphorylation drastically increases the number of meiotic DSBs both in pph-4.1 mutants and in the wild-type background. C. elegans and its close relatives also possess a diverged paralog of DSB-1, called DSB-2, and loss of dsb-2 is known to reduce DSB formation in oocytes with increasing age. We show that the proportion of the phosphorylated, and thus inactivated, form of DSB-1 increases with age and upon loss of DSB-2, while non-phosphorylatable DSB-1 rescues the age-dependent decrease in DSBs in dsb-2 mutants. These results suggest that DSB-2 evolved in part to compensate for the inactivation of DSB-1 through phosphorylation, to maintain levels of DSBs in older animals. Our work shows that PP4PPH-4.1, ATRATL-1, and DSB-2 act in concert with DSB-1 to promote optimal DSB levels throughout the reproductive lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heyun Guo
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ericca L Stamper
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, United States.,Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States
| | - Aya Sato-Carlton
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masa A Shimazoe
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Xuan Li
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Liangyu Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, United States.,Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States
| | - Lewis Stevens
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Ashworth Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - K C Jacky Tam
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Abby F Dernburg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, United States.,Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States
| | - Peter M Carlton
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshidakonoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Japan.,Radiation Biology Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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7
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Wellard SR, Skinner MW, Zhao X, Shults C, Jordan PW. PLK1 depletion alters homologous recombination and synaptonemal complex disassembly events during mammalian spermatogenesis. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:ar37. [PMID: 35274968 PMCID: PMC9282006 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e21-03-0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination (HR) is an essential meiotic process that contributes to the genetic variation of offspring and ensures accurate chromosome segregation. Recombination is facilitated by the formation and repair of programmed DNA double-strand breaks. These DNA breaks are repaired via recombination between maternal and paternal homologous chromosomes and a subset result in the formation of crossovers. HR and crossover formation is facilitated by synapsis of homologous chromosomes by a proteinaceous scaffold structure known as the synaptonemal complex (SC). Recent studies in yeast and worms have indicated that polo-like kinases (PLKs) regulate several events during meiosis, including DNA recombination and SC dynamics. Mammals express four active PLKs (PLK1-4), and our previous work assessing localization and kinase function in mouse spermatocytes suggested that PLK1 coordinates nuclear events during meiotic prophase. Therefore, we conditionally mutated Plk1 in early prophase spermatocytes and assessed stages of HR, crossover formation, and SC processes. Plk1 mutation resulted in increased RPA foci and reduced RAD51/DMC1 foci during zygonema, and an increase of both class I and class II crossover events. Furthermore, the disassembly of SC lateral elements was aberrant. Our results highlight the importance of PLK1 in regulating HR and SC disassembly during spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R. Wellard
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Marnie W. Skinner
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Xueqi Zhao
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Chris Shults
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Philip W. Jordan
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
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8
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Liu H, Gordon SG, Rog O. Heterologous synapsis in C. elegans is regulated by meiotic double-strand breaks and crossovers. Chromosoma 2021; 130:237-250. [PMID: 34608541 PMCID: PMC8671313 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-021-00763-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Alignment of the parental chromosomes during meiotic prophase is key to the formation of genetic exchanges, or crossovers, and consequently to the successful production of gametes. In almost all studied organisms, alignment involves synapsis: the assembly of a conserved inter-chromosomal interface called the synaptonemal complex (SC). While the SC usually synapses homologous sequences, it can assemble between heterologous sequences. However, little is known about the regulation of heterologous synapsis. Here, we study the dynamics of heterologous synapsis in the nematode C. elegans. We characterize two experimental scenarios: SC assembly onto a folded-back chromosome that cannot pair with its homologous partner; and synapsis of pseudo-homologs, a fusion chromosome partnering with an unfused chromosome half its size. We observed elevated levels of heterologous synapsis when the number of meiotic double-strand breaks or crossovers were reduced, indicating that the promiscuity of synapsis is regulated by break formation or repair. In addition, our data suggests the existence of both chromosome-specific and nucleus-wide regulation on heterologous synapsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanwenheng Liu
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-0840, USA
- The Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Spencer G Gordon
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-0840, USA
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-0840, USA.
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9
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Raices M, Bowman R, Smolikove S, Yanowitz JL. Aging Negatively Impacts DNA Repair and Bivalent Formation in the C. elegans Germ Line. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:695333. [PMID: 34422819 PMCID: PMC8371636 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.695333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Defects in crossover (CO) formation during meiosis are a leading cause of birth defects, embryonic lethality, and infertility. In a wide range of species, maternal aging increases aneuploidy and decreases oocyte quality. In C. elegans which produce oocytes throughout the first half of adulthood, aging both decreases oocytes quality and increases meiotic errors. Phenotypes of mutations in genes encoding double-strand break (DSB)-associated proteins get more severe with maternal age suggesting that early meiosis reflects a particularly sensitive node during reproductive aging in the worm. We observed that aging has a direct effect on the integrity of C. elegans meiotic CO formation, as observed by an increase of univalent chromosomes and fusions at diakinesis, with a considerable increase starting at 4 days. We also characterize the possible causes for the age-related changes in CO formation by analyzing both steady-state levels and kinetics of the ssDNA binding proteins RPA-1 and RAD-51. Profound reductions in numbers of both RPA-1 and RAD-51 foci suggests that both DSB formation and early meiotic repair are compromised in aging worms. Using laser microirradiation and γ-irradiation to induce exogenous damage, we show specifically that recruitment of these homologous recombination proteins is altered. Repair defects can be seen in two-and-one-half day-old adults making the loss of germline repair capacity among the earliest aging phenotypes in the worm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilina Raices
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Richard Bowman
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Sarit Smolikove
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Judith L Yanowitz
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Developmental Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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10
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Pazhayam NM, Turcotte CA, Sekelsky J. Meiotic Crossover Patterning. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:681123. [PMID: 34368131 PMCID: PMC8344875 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.681123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper number and placement of meiotic crossovers is vital to chromosome segregation, with failures in normal crossover distribution often resulting in aneuploidy and infertility. Meiotic crossovers are formed via homologous repair of programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs). Although DSBs occur throughout the genome, crossover placement is intricately patterned, as observed first in early genetic studies by Muller and Sturtevant. Three types of patterning events have been identified. Interference, first described by Sturtevant in 1915, is a phenomenon in which crossovers on the same chromosome do not occur near one another. Assurance, initially identified by Owen in 1949, describes the phenomenon in which a minimum of one crossover is formed per chromosome pair. Suppression, first observed by Beadle in 1932, dictates that crossovers do not occur in regions surrounding the centromere and telomeres. The mechanisms behind crossover patterning remain largely unknown, and key players appear to act at all scales, from the DNA level to inter-chromosome interactions. There is also considerable overlap between the known players that drive each patterning phenomenon. In this review we discuss the history of studies of crossover patterning, developments in methods used in the field, and our current understanding of the interplay between patterning phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nila M. Pazhayam
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Carolyn A. Turcotte
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jeff Sekelsky
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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11
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Abstract
A central player in meiotic chromosome dynamics is the conserved Polo-like kinase (PLK) family. PLKs are dynamically localized to distinct structures during meiotic prophase and phosphorylate a diverse group of substrates to control homolog pairing, synapsis, and meiotic recombination. In a recent study, we uncovered the mechanisms that control the targeting of a meiosis-specific PLK-2 in C. elegans. In early meiotic prophase, PLK-2 localizes to special chromosome regions known as pairing centers and drives homolog pairing and synapsis. PLK-2 then relocates to the synaptonemal complex (SC) after crossover designation and mediates chromosome remodeling required for homolog separation. What controls this intricate targeting of PLK-2 in space and time? We discuss recent findings and remaining questions for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yumi Kim
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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12
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Abstract
The formation of crossovers between homologous chromosomes is key to sexual reproduction. In most species, crossovers are spaced further apart than would be expected if they formed independently, a phenomenon termed crossover interference. Despite more than a century of study, the molecular mechanisms implementing crossover interference remain a subject of active debate. Recent findings of how signaling proteins control the formation of crossovers and about the interchromosomal interface in which crossovers form offer new insights into this process. In this Review, we present a cell biological and biophysical perspective on crossover interference, summarizing the evidence that links interference to the spatial, dynamic, mechanical and molecular properties of meiotic chromosomes. We synthesize this physical understanding in the context of prevailing mechanistic models that aim to explain how crossover interference is implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lexy von Diezmann
- Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Ofer Rog
- Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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13
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Brandt JN, Hussey KA, Kim Y. Spatial and temporal control of targeting Polo-like kinase during meiotic prophase. J Cell Biol 2021; 219:152136. [PMID: 32997737 PMCID: PMC7594494 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202006094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Polo-like kinases (PLKs) play widely conserved roles in orchestrating meiotic chromosome dynamics. However, how PLKs are targeted to distinct subcellular localizations during meiotic progression remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK-1 primes the recruitment of PLK-2 to the synaptonemal complex (SC) through phosphorylation of SYP-1 in C. elegans. SYP-1 phosphorylation by CDK-1 occurs just before meiotic onset. However, PLK-2 docking to the SC is prevented by the nucleoplasmic HAL-2/3 complex until crossover designation, which constrains PLK-2 to special chromosomal regions known as pairing centers to ensure proper homologue pairing and synapsis. PLK-2 is targeted to crossover sites primed by CDK-1 and spreads along the SC by reinforcing SYP-1 phosphorylation on one side of each crossover only when threshold levels of crossovers are generated. Thus, the integration of chromosome-autonomous signaling and a nucleus-wide crossover-counting mechanism partitions holocentric chromosomes relative to the crossover site, which ultimately defines the pattern of chromosome segregation during meiosis I.
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Affiliation(s)
- James N Brandt
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Yumi Kim
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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14
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Gartner A, Engebrecht J. DNA repair, recombination, and damage signaling. Genetics 2021; 220:6522877. [PMID: 35137093 PMCID: PMC9097270 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA must be accurately copied and propagated from one cell division to the next, and from one generation to the next. To ensure the faithful transmission of the genome, a plethora of distinct as well as overlapping DNA repair and recombination pathways have evolved. These pathways repair a large variety of lesions, including alterations to single nucleotides and DNA single and double-strand breaks, that are generated as a consequence of normal cellular function or by external DNA damaging agents. In addition to the proteins that mediate DNA repair, checkpoint pathways have also evolved to monitor the genome and coordinate the action of various repair pathways. Checkpoints facilitate repair by mediating a transient cell cycle arrest, or through initiation of cell suicide if DNA damage has overwhelmed repair capacity. In this chapter, we describe the attributes of Caenorhabditis elegans that facilitate analyses of DNA repair, recombination, and checkpoint signaling in the context of a whole animal. We review the current knowledge of C. elegans DNA repair, recombination, and DNA damage response pathways, and their role during development, growth, and in the germ line. We also discuss how the analysis of mutational signatures in C. elegans is helping to inform cancer mutational signatures in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Gartner
- Department for Biological Sciences, IBS Center for Genomic Integrity, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 689-798, Republic of Korea,Corresponding author: (A.G.); (J.E.)
| | - JoAnne Engebrecht
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA,Corresponding author: (A.G.); (J.E.)
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15
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So C, Cheng S, Schuh M. Phase Separation during Germline Development. Trends Cell Biol 2021; 31:254-268. [PMID: 33455855 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Phase separation has emerged as a new key principle of intracellular organization. Phase-separated structures play diverse roles in various biological processes and pathogenesis of protein aggregation diseases. Recent work has revealed crucial functions for phase separation during germline development. Phase separation controls the assembly and segregation of germ granules that determine which embryonic cells become germ cells. Phase separation promotes the formation of the Balbiani body, a structure that stores organelles and RNAs during the prolonged prophase arrest of oocytes. Phase separation also facilitates meiotic recombination that prepares homologous chromosomes for segregation, and drives the formation of a liquid-like spindle domain that promotes spindle assembly in mammalian oocytes. We review how phase separation drives these essential steps during germline development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun So
- Department of Meiosis, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Shiya Cheng
- Department of Meiosis, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Melina Schuh
- Department of Meiosis, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
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16
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Sato-Carlton A, Nakamura-Tabuchi C, Li X, Boog H, Lehmer MK, Rosenberg SC, Barroso C, Martinez-Perez E, Corbett KD, Carlton PM. Phosphoregulation of HORMA domain protein HIM-3 promotes asymmetric synaptonemal complex disassembly in meiotic prophase in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008968. [PMID: 33175901 PMCID: PMC7717579 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In the two cell divisions of meiosis, diploid genomes are reduced into complementary haploid sets through the discrete, two-step removal of chromosome cohesion, a task carried out in most eukaryotes by protecting cohesion at the centromere until the second division. In eukaryotes without defined centromeres, however, alternative strategies have been innovated. The best-understood of these is found in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: after the single off-center crossover divides the chromosome into two segments, or arms, several chromosome-associated proteins or post-translational modifications become specifically partitioned to either the shorter or longer arm, where they promote the correct timing of cohesion loss through as-yet unknown mechanisms. Here, we investigate the meiotic axis HORMA-domain protein HIM-3 and show that it becomes phosphorylated at its C-terminus, within the conserved “closure motif” region bound by the related HORMA-domain proteins HTP-1 and HTP-2. Binding of HTP-2 is abrogated by phosphorylation of the closure motif in in vitro assays, strongly suggesting that in vivo phosphorylation of HIM-3 likely modulates the hierarchical structure of the chromosome axis. Phosphorylation of HIM-3 only occurs on synapsed chromosomes, and similarly to other previously-described phosphorylated proteins of the synaptonemal complex, becomes restricted to the short arm after designation of crossover sites. Regulation of HIM-3 phosphorylation status is required for timely disassembly of synaptonemal complex central elements from the long arm, and is also required for proper timing of HTP-1 and HTP-2 dissociation from the short arm. Phosphorylation of HIM-3 thus plays a role in establishing the identity of short and long arms, thereby contributing to the robustness of the two-step chromosome segregation. To segregate properly in meiosis, cohesion between replicated chromosomes must remain after the first meiotic cell division, so chromosomes can be held together until they finally separate in the second division. While the majority of organisms use centromeres to protect chromosome cohesion in the first division, the nematode worm C. elegans, which lacks single centromeres, instead protects cohesion only on a segment of the chromosome known as the “long arm”. The long arm (and its complement, the short arm) are known to accumulate specific proteins and protein modifications, but it is not known how the short and long arms are first distinguished, nor how their separate functions are carried out. We report here that the chromosome axis protein HIM-3 and its modification by phosphorylation is important for ensuring the robust establishment of short and long arm functions. We show that phosphorylated HIM-3 partitions to the short arms after crossover recombination sites are designated, and HIM-3 mutants that mimic constitutive phosphorylation delay the normal establishment of the two complementary arm domains. Our findings reveal another layer of regulation to an outstanding mystery in chromosome biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xuan Li
- Kyoto University, Graduate School of Biostudies, Japan
| | - Hendrik Boog
- Kyoto University, Graduate School of Biostudies, Japan
| | - Madison K. Lehmer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, United States of America
| | - Scott C. Rosenberg
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, United States of America
| | - Consuelo Barroso
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College, London
| | | | - Kevin D. Corbett
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, United States of America
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, United States of America
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, San Diego Branch, United States of America
| | - Peter Mark Carlton
- Kyoto University, Graduate School of Biostudies, Japan
- Kyoto University, Radiation Biology Center, Japan
- Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University, Japan
- * E-mail:
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17
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Li Q, Hariri S, Engebrecht J. Meiotic Double-Strand Break Processing and Crossover Patterning Are Regulated in a Sex-Specific Manner by BRCA1-BARD1 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2020; 216:359-379. [PMID: 32796008 PMCID: PMC7536853 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.120.303292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is regulated in a sex-specific manner to produce two distinct gametes, sperm and oocytes, for sexual reproduction. To determine how meiotic recombination is regulated in spermatogenesis, we analyzed the meiotic phenotypes of mutants in the tumor suppressor E3 ubiquitin ligase BRC-1-BRD-1 complex in Caenorhabditis elegans male meiosis. Unlike in mammals, this complex is not required for meiotic sex chromosome inactivation, the process whereby hemizygous sex chromosomes are transcriptionally silenced. Interestingly, brc-1 and brd-1 mutants show meiotic recombination phenotypes that are largely opposing to those previously reported for female meiosis. Fewer meiotic recombination intermediates marked by the recombinase RAD-51 were observed in brc-1 and brd-1 mutants, and the reduction in RAD-51 foci could be suppressed by mutation of nonhomologous-end-joining proteins. Analysis of GFP::RPA-1 revealed fewer foci in the brc-1brd-1 mutant and concentration of BRC-1-BRD-1 to sites of meiotic recombination was dependent on DNA end resection, suggesting that the complex regulates the processing of meiotic double-strand breaks to promote repair by homologous recombination. Further, BRC-1-BRD-1 is important to promote progeny viability when male meiosis is perturbed by mutations that block the pairing and synapsis of different chromosome pairs, although the complex is not required to stabilize the RAD-51 filament as in female meiosis under the same conditions. Analyses of crossover designation and formation revealed that BRC-1-BRD-1 inhibits supernumerary COs when meiosis is perturbed. Together, our findings suggest that BRC-1-BRD-1 regulates different aspects of meiotic recombination in male and female meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyan Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Sara Hariri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - JoAnne Engebrecht
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California 95616
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18
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Janisiw E, Raices M, Balmir F, Paulin LF, Baudrimont A, von Haeseler A, Yanowitz JL, Jantsch V, Silva N. Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase coordinates meiotic DNA double-strand break induction and repair independent of its catalytic activity. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4869. [PMID: 32978394 PMCID: PMC7519143 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18693-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a reversible post-translational modification synthetized by ADP-ribose transferases and removed by poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG), which plays important roles in DNA damage repair. While well-studied in somatic tissues, much less is known about poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in the germline, where DNA double-strand breaks are introduced by a regulated program and repaired by crossover recombination to establish a tether between homologous chromosomes. The interaction between the parental chromosomes is facilitated by meiotic specific adaptation of the chromosome axes and cohesins, and reinforced by the synaptonemal complex. Here, we uncover an unexpected role for PARG in coordinating the induction of meiotic DNA breaks and their homologous recombination-mediated repair in Caenorhabditis elegans. PARG-1/PARG interacts with both axial and central elements of the synaptonemal complex, REC-8/Rec8 and the MRN/X complex. PARG-1 shapes the recombination landscape and reinforces the tightly regulated control of crossover numbers without requiring its catalytic activity. We unravel roles in regulating meiosis, beyond its enzymatic activity in poly(ADP-ribose) catabolism. Poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) is involved in different cellular processes including DNA repair. Here the authors reveal a role for PARG in regulating meiotic DNA double strand break induction and repair in Caenorhabditis elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Janisiw
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Centre for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marilina Raices
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Fabiola Balmir
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,AHN Center for Reproductive Medicine, AHN McCandless, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Luis F Paulin
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna (CIBIV), Max Perutz Laboratories, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Antoine Baudrimont
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Arndt von Haeseler
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna (CIBIV), Max Perutz Laboratories, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Judith L Yanowitz
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Verena Jantsch
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicola Silva
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
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19
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Castellano-Pozo M, Pacheco S, Sioutas G, Jaso-Tamame AL, Dore MH, Karimi MM, Martinez-Perez E. Surveillance of cohesin-supported chromosome structure controls meiotic progression. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4345. [PMID: 32859945 PMCID: PMC7455720 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18219-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosome movements and programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) promote homologue pairing and initiate recombination at meiosis onset. Meiotic progression involves checkpoint-controlled termination of these events when all homologue pairs achieve synapsis and form crossover precursors. Exploiting the temporo-spatial organisation of the C. elegans germline and time-resolved methods of protein removal, we show that surveillance of the synaptonemal complex (SC) controls meiotic progression. In nuclei with fully synapsed homologues and crossover precursors, removing different meiosis-specific cohesin complexes, which are individually required for SC stability, or a SC central region component causes functional redeployment of the chromosome movement and DSB machinery, triggering whole-nucleus reorganisation. This apparent reversal of the meiotic programme requires CHK-2 kinase reactivation via signalling from chromosome axes containing HORMA proteins, but occurs in the absence of transcriptional changes. Our results uncover an unexpected plasticity of the meiotic programme and show how chromosome signalling orchestrates nuclear organisation and meiotic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarai Pacheco
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | | | | | - Marian H Dore
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | | | - Enrique Martinez-Perez
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London, W12 0NN, UK.
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20
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Hurlock ME, Čavka I, Kursel LE, Haversat J, Wooten M, Nizami Z, Turniansky R, Hoess P, Ries J, Gall JG, Rog O, Köhler S, Kim Y. Identification of novel synaptonemal complex components in C. elegans. J Cell Biol 2020; 219:e201910043. [PMID: 32211899 PMCID: PMC7199856 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201910043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a tripartite protein scaffold that forms between homologous chromosomes during meiosis. Although the SC is essential for stable homologue pairing and crossover recombination in diverse eukaryotes, it is unknown how individual components assemble into the highly conserved SC structure. Here we report the biochemical identification of two new SC components, SYP-5 and SYP-6, in Caenorhabditis elegans. SYP-5 and SYP-6 are paralogous to each other and play redundant roles in synapsis, providing an explanation for why these genes have evaded previous genetic screens. Superresolution microscopy reveals that they localize between the chromosome axes and span the width of the SC in a head-to-head manner, similar to the orientation of other known transverse filament proteins. Using genetic redundancy and structure-function analyses to truncate C-terminal tails of SYP-5/6, we provide evidence supporting the role of SC in both limiting and promoting crossover formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ivana Čavka
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lisa E. Kursel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | | | - Matthew Wooten
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Zehra Nizami
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Philipp Hoess
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Collaboration for joint PhD degree between European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonas Ries
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joseph G. Gall
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Simone Köhler
- The European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yumi Kim
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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21
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Altendorfer E, Láscarez-Lagunas LI, Nadarajan S, Mathieson I, Colaiácovo MP. Crossover Position Drives Chromosome Remodeling for Accurate Meiotic Chromosome Segregation. Curr Biol 2020; 30:1329-1338.e7. [PMID: 32142707 PMCID: PMC7162695 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Interhomolog crossovers (COs) are a prerequisite for achieving accurate chromosome segregation during meiosis [1, 2]. COs are not randomly positioned, occurring at distinct genomic intervals during meiosis in all species examined [3-10]. The role of CO position as a major determinant of accurate chromosome segregation has not been previously directly analyzed in a metazoan. Here, we use spo-11 mutants, which lack endogenous DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), to induce a single DSB by Mos1 transposon excision at defined chromosomal locations in the C. elegans germline and show that the position of the resulting CO directly affects the formation of distinct chromosome subdomains during meiotic chromosome remodeling. CO formation in the typically CO-deprived center region of autosomes leads to premature loss of sister chromatid cohesion and chromosome missegregation, whereas COs at an off-centered position, as in wild type, can result in normal remodeling and accurate segregation. Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DSBs lead to the same outcomes, and modeling of IR dose-response reveals that the CO-unfavorable center region encompasses up to 6% of the total chromosome length. DSBs proximal to telomeres rarely form COs, likely because of formation of unstable recombination intermediates that cannot be sustained as chiasmata until late prophase. Our work supports a model in which regulation of CO position early in meiotic prophase is required for proper designation of chromosome subdomains and normal chromosome remodeling in late meiotic prophase I, resulting in accurate chromosome segregation and providing a mechanism to prevent aneuploid gamete formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Altendorfer
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Laura I Láscarez-Lagunas
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Saravanapriah Nadarajan
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Iain Mathieson
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Monica P Colaiácovo
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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22
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Abstract
Through recombination, genes are freed to evolve more independently of one another, unleashing genetic variance hidden in the linkage disequilibrium that accumulates through selection combined with drift. Yet crossover numbers are evolutionarily constrained, with at least one and not many more than one crossover per bivalent in most taxa. Crossover interference, whereby a crossover reduces the probability of a neighboring crossover, contributes to this homogeneity. The mechanisms by which interference is achieved and crossovers are regulated are a major current subject of inquiry, facilitated by novel methods to visualize crossovers and to pinpoint recombination events. Here, we review patterns of crossover interference and the models built to describe this process. We then discuss the selective forces that have likely shaped interference and the regulation of crossover numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah P Otto
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada;
| | - Bret A Payseur
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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23
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Alleva B, Clausen S, Koury E, Hefel A, Smolikove S. CRL4 regulates recombination and synaptonemal complex aggregation in the Caenorhabditis elegans germline. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008486. [PMID: 31738749 PMCID: PMC6886871 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To maintain the integrity of the genome, meiotic DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) need to form by the meiosis-specific nuclease Spo11 and be repaired by homologous recombination. One class of products formed by recombination are crossovers, which are required for proper chromosome segregation in the first meiotic division. The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a protein structure that connects homologous chromosomes during meiotic prophase I. The proper assembly of the SC is important for recombination, crossover formation, and the subsequent chromosome segregation. Here we identify the components of Cullin RING E3 ubiquitin ligase 4 (CRL4) that play a role in SC assembly in Caenorhabditis elegans. Mutants of the CRL4 complex (cul-4, ddb-1, and gad-1) show defects in SC assembly manifested in the formation of polycomplexes (PCs), impaired progression of meiotic recombination, and reduction in crossover numbers. PCs that are formed in cul-4 mutants lack the mobile properties of wild type SC, but are likely not a direct target of ubiquitination. In C. elegans, SC assembly does not require recombination and there is no evidence that PC formation is regulated by recombination as well. However, in one cul-4 mutant PC formation is dependent upon early meiotic recombination, indicating that proper assembly of the SC can be diminished by recombination in some scenarios. Lastly, our studies suggest that CUL-4 deregulation leads to transposition of the Tc3 transposable element, and defects in formation of SPO-11-mediated DSBs. Our studies highlight previously unknown functions of CRL4 in C. elegans meiosis and show that CUL-4 likely plays multiple roles in meiosis that are essential for maintaining genome integrity. Defects in the formation of the structure named the synaptonemal complex (SC) lead to the missegregation of chromosomes in the divisions that generate sperm and egg cells. In humans, this chromosome missegregation is associated with infertility and developmental disabilities of the surviving progeny. Abnormal SC structures composed of misfolded and aggregated SC proteins are associated with an inability to properly repair DNA damage and accurately segregate meiotic chromosomes. How SC proteins assemble such that they do not form misfolded protein aggregates is poorly understood. The germlines of nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) that lack protein components of the Cullin 4 E3 Ubiquitin ligase complex (CRL4), have defects in the formation of the SC that can be due to misfolding of SC proteins and their aggregation. CRL4 appears to be involved in other germline functions that directly affect chromosome stability (DNA damage repair and transposition), indicating that CRL4 has a central function in the formation of functional sperm and egg cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Alleva
- The department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Sean Clausen
- The department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Emily Koury
- The department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Adam Hefel
- The department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Sarit Smolikove
- The department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Cahoon CK, Helm JM, Libuda DE. Synaptonemal Complex Central Region Proteins Promote Localization of Pro-crossover Factors to Recombination Events During Caenorhabditis elegans Meiosis. Genetics 2019; 213:395-409. [PMID: 31431470 PMCID: PMC6781886 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Crossovers (COs) between homologous chromosomes are critical for meiotic chromosome segregation and form in the context of the synaptonemal complex (SC), a meiosis-specific structure that assembles between aligned homologs. During Caenorhabditis elegans meiosis, central region components of the SC (SYP proteins) are essential to repair double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) as COs. Here, we investigate the relationships between the SYP proteins and conserved pro-CO factors by examining the immunolocalization of these proteins in meiotic mutants where SYP proteins are absent, reduced, or mislocalized. Although COs do not form in syp null mutants, pro-CO factors COSA-1, MSH-5, and ZHP-3 nevertheless colocalize at DSB-dependent sites during late prophase, reflecting an inherent affinity of these factors for DSB repair sites. In contrast, in mutants where SYP proteins are present but form aggregates or display abnormal synapsis, pro-CO factors consistently track with SYP-1 localization. Further, pro-CO factors usually localize to a single site per SYP-1 structure, even in SYP aggregates or in mutants where the SC forms between sister chromatids, suggesting that CO regulation occurs within these aberrant SC structures. Moreover, we find that the meiotic cohesin REC-8 is required to ensure that SC formation occurs between homologs and not sister chromatids. Taken together, our findings support a model in which SYP proteins promote CO formation by promoting the localization of pro-CO factors to recombination events within an SC compartment, thereby ensuring that pro-CO factors identify a recombination event within an SC structure and that CO maturation occurs only between properly aligned homologous chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cori K Cahoon
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Jacquellyn M Helm
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Diana E Libuda
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
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25
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Roelens B, Barroso C, Montoya A, Cutillas P, Zhang W, Woglar A, Girard C, Martinez-Perez E, Villeneuve AM. Spatial Regulation of Polo-Like Kinase Activity During Caenorhabditis elegans Meiosis by the Nucleoplasmic HAL-2/HAL-3 Complex. Genetics 2019; 213:79-96. [PMID: 31345995 PMCID: PMC6727811 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper partitioning of homologous chromosomes during meiosis relies on the coordinated execution of multiple interconnected events: Homologs must locate, recognize, and align with their correct pairing partners. Further, homolog pairing must be coupled to assembly of the synaptonemal complex (SC), a meiosis-specific tripartite structure that maintains stable associations between the axes of aligned homologs and regulates formation of crossovers between their DNA molecules to create linkages that enable their segregation. Here, we identify HAL-3 (Homolog Alignment 3) as an important player in coordinating these key events during Caenorhabditis elegans meiosis. HAL-3, and the previously identified HAL-2, are interacting and interdependent components of a protein complex that localizes to the nucleoplasm of germ cells. hal-3 (or hal-2) mutants exhibit multiple meiotic prophase defects including failure to establish homolog pairing, inappropriate loading of SC subunits onto unpaired chromosome axes, and premature loss of synapsis checkpoint protein PCH-2. Further, loss of hal function results in misregulation of the subcellular localization and activity of Polo-like kinases (PLK-1 and PLK-2), which dynamically localize to different defined subnuclear sites during wild-type prophase progression to regulate distinct cellular events. Moreover, loss of PLK-2 activity partially restores tripartite SC structure in a hal mutant background, suggesting that the defect in pairwise SC assembly in hal mutants reflects inappropriate PLK activity. Together, our data support a model in which the nucleoplasmic HAL-2/HAL-3 protein complex constrains both localization and activity of meiotic Polo-like kinases, thereby preventing premature interaction with stage-inappropriate targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Roelens
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305
| | - Consuelo Barroso
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Alex Montoya
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Pedro Cutillas
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Weibin Zhang
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305
| | - Alexander Woglar
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305
| | - Chloe Girard
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305
| | | | - Anne M Villeneuve
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305
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26
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ATM and ATR Influence Meiotic Crossover Formation Through Antagonistic and Overlapping Functions in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2019; 212:431-443. [PMID: 31015193 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, formation of double-strand breaks (DSBs) and repair by homologous recombination between homologs creates crossovers (COs) that facilitate chromosome segregation. CO formation is tightly regulated to ensure the integrity of this process. The DNA damage response kinases, Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and RAD3-related (ATR) have emerged as key regulators of CO formation in yeast, flies, and mice, influencing DSB formation, repair pathway choice, and cell cycle progression. The molecular networks that ATM and ATR influence during meiosis are still being resolved in other organisms. Here, we show that Caenorhabditis elegans ATM and ATR homologs, ATM-1 and ATL-1 respectively, act at multiple steps in CO formation to ultimately ensure that COs are formed on all chromosomes. We show a role for ATM-1 in regulating the choice of repair template, biasing use of the homologous chromosome instead of the sister chromatid. Our data suggest a model in which ATM-1 and ATL-1 have antagonistic roles in very early repair processing, but are redundantly required for accumulation of the RAD-51 recombinase at DSB sites. We propose that these features of ATM-1 and ATL-1 ensure both CO formation on all chromosomes and accurate repair of additional DSBs.
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27
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Link J, Jantsch V. Meiotic chromosomes in motion: a perspective from Mus musculus and Caenorhabditis elegans. Chromosoma 2019; 128:317-330. [PMID: 30877366 PMCID: PMC6823321 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-019-00698-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Vigorous chromosome movement during the extended prophase of the first meiotic division is conserved in most eukaryotes. The movement is crucial for the faithful segregation of homologous chromosomes into daughter cells, and thus for fertility. A prerequisite for meiotic chromosome movement is the stable and functional attachment of telomeres or chromosome ends to the nuclear envelope and their cytoplasmic coupling to the cytoskeletal forces responsible for generating movement. Important advances in understanding the components, mechanisms, and regulation of chromosome end attachment and movement have recently been made. This review focuses on insights gained from experiments into two major metazoan model organisms: the mouse, Mus musculus, and the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Link
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Verena Jantsch
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Vienna Biocenter, University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
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28
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Li Q, Saito TT, Martinez-Garcia M, Deshong AJ, Nadarajan S, Lawrence KS, Checchi PM, Colaiacovo MP, Engebrecht J. The tumor suppressor BRCA1-BARD1 complex localizes to the synaptonemal complex and regulates recombination under meiotic dysfunction in Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007701. [PMID: 30383767 PMCID: PMC6211623 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) and binding partner BRCA1-associated RING domain protein 1 (BARD1) form an essential E3 ubiquitin ligase important for DNA damage repair and homologous recombination. The Caenorhabditis elegans orthologs, BRC-1 and BRD-1, also function in DNA damage repair, homologous recombination, as well as in meiosis. Using functional GFP fusions we show that in mitotically-dividing germ cells BRC-1 and BRD-1 are nucleoplasmic with enrichment at foci that partially overlap with the recombinase RAD-51. Co-localization with RAD-51 is enhanced under replication stress. As cells enter meiosis, BRC-1-BRD-1 remains nucleoplasmic and in foci, and beginning in mid-pachytene the complex co-localizes with the synaptonemal complex. Following establishment of the single asymmetrically positioned crossover on each chromosome pair, BRC-1-BRD-1 concentrates to the short arm of the bivalent. Localization dependencies reveal that BRC-1 and BRD-1 are interdependent and the complex fails to properly localize in both meiotic recombination and chromosome synapsis mutants. Consistent with a role for BRC-1-BRD-1 in meiotic recombination in the context of the synaptonemal complex, inactivation of BRC-1 or BRD-1 enhances the embryonic lethality of mutants defective in chromosome synapsis. Our data suggest that under meiotic dysfunction, BRC-1-BRD-1 stabilizes the RAD-51 filament and alters the recombination landscape; these two functions can be genetically separated from BRC-1-BRD-1's role in the DNA damage response. Together, we propose that BRC-1-BRD-1 serves a checkpoint function at the synaptonemal complex where it monitors and modulates meiotic recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyan Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis; Davis CA, United States of America
| | - Takamune T. Saito
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, United States of America
| | | | - Alison J. Deshong
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis; Davis CA, United States of America
| | | | - Katherine S. Lawrence
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis; Davis CA, United States of America
| | - Paula M. Checchi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis; Davis CA, United States of America
| | - Monica P. Colaiacovo
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - JoAnne Engebrecht
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California Davis; Davis CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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29
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BRCA1-BARD1 associate with the synaptonemal complex and pro-crossover factors and influence RAD-51 dynamics during Caenorhabditis elegans meiosis. PLoS Genet 2018; 14:e1007653. [PMID: 30383754 PMCID: PMC6211622 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, the maternal and paternal homologous chromosomes must align along their entire length and recombine to achieve faithful segregation in the gametes. Meiotic recombination is accomplished through the formation of DNA double-strand breaks, a subset of which can mature into crossovers to link the parental homologous chromosomes and promote their segregation. Breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility protein BRCA1 and its heterodimeric partner BARD1 play a pivotal role in DNA repair in mitotic cells; however, their functions in gametogenesis are less well understood. Here we show that localization of BRC-1 and BRD-1 (Caenorhabditis elegans orthologues of BRCA1 and BARD1) is dynamic during meiotic prophase I; they ultimately becoming concentrated at regions surrounding the presumptive crossover sites, co-localizing with the pro-crossover factors COSA-1, MSH-5 and ZHP-3. The synaptonemal complex and PLK-2 activity are essential for recruitment of BRC-1 to chromosomes and its subsequent redistribution towards the short arm of the bivalent. BRC-1 and BRD-1 form in vivo complexes with the synaptonemal complex component SYP-3 and the crossover-promoting factor MSH-5. Furthermore, BRC-1 is essential for efficient stage-specific recruitment/stabilization of the RAD-51 recombinase to DNA damage sites when synapsis is impaired and upon induction of exogenous damage. Taken together, our data provide new insights into the localization and meiotic function of the BRC-1-BRD-1 complex and highlight its essential role in DNA double-strand break repair during gametogenesis.
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Bohr T, Nelson CR, Giacopazzi S, Lamelza P, Bhalla N. Shugoshin Is Essential for Meiotic Prophase Checkpoints in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2018; 28:3199-3211.e3. [PMID: 30293721 PMCID: PMC6200582 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The conserved factor Shugoshin is dispensable in C. elegans for the two-step loss of sister chromatid cohesion that directs the proper segregation of meiotic chromosomes. We show that the C. elegans ortholog of Shugoshin, SGO-1, is required for checkpoint activity in meiotic prophase. This role in checkpoint function is similar to that of conserved proteins that structure meiotic chromosome axes. Indeed, null sgo-1 mutants exhibit additional phenotypes similar to that of a partial loss-of-function allele of the axis component, HTP-3: premature synaptonemal complex disassembly, the activation of alternate DNA repair pathways, and an inability to recruit a conserved effector of the DNA damage pathway, HUS-1. SGO-1 localizes to pre-meiotic nuclei when HTP-3 is present but not yet loaded onto chromosome axes and genetically interacts with a central component of the cohesin complex, SMC-3, suggesting that it contributes to meiotic chromosome metabolism early in meiosis by regulating cohesin. We propose that SGO-1 acts during pre-meiotic replication to ensure fully functional meiotic chromosome architecture, rendering these chromosomes competent for checkpoint activity and normal progression of meiotic recombination. Given that most research on Shugoshin has focused on its regulation of sister chromatid cohesion during chromosome segregation, this novel role may be conserved but previously uncharacterized in other organisms. Further, our findings expand the repertoire of Shugoshin's functions beyond coordinating regulatory activities at the centromere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tisha Bohr
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Christian R Nelson
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Stefani Giacopazzi
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Piero Lamelza
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Needhi Bhalla
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
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31
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Meiotic Double-Strand Break Proteins Influence Repair Pathway Utilization. Genetics 2018; 210:843-856. [PMID: 30242011 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are among the most deleterious lesions DNA can endure. Yet, DSBs are programmed at the onset of meiosis, and are required to facilitate appropriate reduction of ploidy in daughter cells. Repair of these breaks is tightly controlled to favor homologous recombination (HR)-the only repair pathway that can form crossovers. However, little is known about how the activities of alternative repair pathways are regulated at these stages. We discovered an unexpected synthetic interaction between the DSB machinery and strand-exchange proteins. Depleting the Caenorhabditis elegans DSB-promoting factors HIM-5 and DSB-2 suppresses the formation of chromosome fusions that arise in the absence of RAD-51 or other strand-exchange mediators. Our investigations reveal that nonhomologous and theta-mediated end joining (c-NHEJ and TMEJ, respectively) and single strand annealing (SSA) function redundantly to repair DSBs when HR is compromised, and that HIM-5 influences the utilization of TMEJ and SSA.
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32
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Germoglio M, Adamo A. A Role in Apoptosis Regulation for the rad-51 Gene of Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2018; 209:1017-1028. [PMID: 29884745 PMCID: PMC6063241 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved RAD-51 protein is essential for homologous recombination in the germ line as well as homologous repair of DNA double-strand breaks in all eukaryotic cells. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the rad-51 gene is transcribed into messenger RNAs potentially coding three alternative protein isoforms. Null rad-51 alleles display embryonic lethality, severe defects in chromosome structure, and high levels of germ line apoptosis. To dissect its functions, we genetically modified the C. elegans rad-51 gene by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 genome-editing technology, obtaining a separation-of-function (sfi-) mutant allele that only disrupts the long-transcript isoform. This mutant shows no defects in an otherwise wild-type meiosis and is able to activate physiological germ cell death, which occurs at the late pachytene stage. However, although the mutant is competent in DNA damage checkpoint activation after exposure to ionizing radiation, it is defective for induction of DNA damage-induced apoptosis in meiotic germ cells. These results suggest that RAD-51 plays a novel role in germ line apoptosis independent of RAD-51-mediated strand invasion for homologous recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Germoglio
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council, 80131 Naples, Italy
- University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Adele Adamo
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council, 80131 Naples, Italy
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33
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Woglar A, Villeneuve AM. Dynamic Architecture of DNA Repair Complexes and the Synaptonemal Complex at Sites of Meiotic Recombination. Cell 2018; 173:1678-1691.e16. [PMID: 29754818 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.03.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Meiotic double-strand breaks (DSBs) are generated and repaired in a highly regulated manner to ensure formation of crossovers (COs) while also enabling efficient non-CO repair to restore genome integrity. We use structured-illumination microscopy to investigate the dynamic architecture of DSB repair complexes at meiotic recombination sites in relationship to the synaptonemal complex (SC). DSBs resected at both ends are converted into inter-homolog repair intermediates harboring two populations of BLM helicase and RPA, flanking a single population of MutSγ. These intermediates accumulate until late pachytene, when repair proteins disappear from non-CO sites and CO-designated sites become enveloped by SC-central region proteins, acquire a second MutSγ population, and lose RPA. These and other data suggest that the SC may protect CO intermediates from being dismantled inappropriately and promote CO maturation by generating a transient CO-specific repair compartment, thereby enabling differential timing and outcome of repair at CO and non-CO sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Woglar
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anne M Villeneuve
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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34
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Zhang L, Köhler S, Rillo-Bohn R, Dernburg AF. A compartmentalized signaling network mediates crossover control in meiosis. eLife 2018. [PMID: 29521627 DOI: 10.7554/elife.30789.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, each pair of homologous chromosomes typically undergoes at least one crossover (crossover assurance), but these exchanges are strictly limited in number and widely spaced along chromosomes (crossover interference). The molecular basis for this chromosome-wide regulation remains mysterious. A family of meiotic RING finger proteins has been implicated in crossover regulation across eukaryotes. Caenorhabditis elegans expresses four such proteins, of which one (ZHP-3) is known to be required for crossovers. Here we investigate the functions of ZHP-1, ZHP-2, and ZHP-4. We find that all four ZHP proteins, like their homologs in other species, localize to the synaptonemal complex, an unusual, liquid crystalline compartment that assembles between paired homologs. Together they promote accumulation of pro-crossover factors, including ZHP-3 and ZHP-4, at a single recombination intermediate, thereby patterning exchanges along paired chromosomes. These proteins also act at the top of a hierarchical, symmetry-breaking process that enables crossovers to direct accurate chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangyu Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, United States
| | - Simone Köhler
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, United States
| | - Regina Rillo-Bohn
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, United States
| | - Abby F Dernburg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, United States
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35
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Zhang L, Köhler S, Rillo-Bohn R, Dernburg AF. A compartmentalized signaling network mediates crossover control in meiosis. eLife 2018; 7:e30789. [PMID: 29521627 PMCID: PMC5906097 DOI: 10.7554/elife.30789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, each pair of homologous chromosomes typically undergoes at least one crossover (crossover assurance), but these exchanges are strictly limited in number and widely spaced along chromosomes (crossover interference). The molecular basis for this chromosome-wide regulation remains mysterious. A family of meiotic RING finger proteins has been implicated in crossover regulation across eukaryotes. Caenorhabditis elegans expresses four such proteins, of which one (ZHP-3) is known to be required for crossovers. Here we investigate the functions of ZHP-1, ZHP-2, and ZHP-4. We find that all four ZHP proteins, like their homologs in other species, localize to the synaptonemal complex, an unusual, liquid crystalline compartment that assembles between paired homologs. Together they promote accumulation of pro-crossover factors, including ZHP-3 and ZHP-4, at a single recombination intermediate, thereby patterning exchanges along paired chromosomes. These proteins also act at the top of a hierarchical, symmetry-breaking process that enables crossovers to direct accurate chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangyu Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
- California Institute for Quantitative BiosciencesBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Simone Köhler
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
- California Institute for Quantitative BiosciencesBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Regina Rillo-Bohn
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
- California Institute for Quantitative BiosciencesBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Abby F Dernburg
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
- California Institute for Quantitative BiosciencesBerkeleyUnited States
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36
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Zelazowski MJ, Sandoval M, Paniker L, Hamilton HM, Han J, Gribbell MA, Kang R, Cole F. Age-Dependent Alterations in Meiotic Recombination Cause Chromosome Segregation Errors in Spermatocytes. Cell 2017; 171:601-614.e13. [PMID: 28942922 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Faithful chromosome segregation in meiosis requires crossover (CO) recombination, which is regulated to ensure at least one CO per homolog pair. We investigate the failure to ensure COs in juvenile male mice. By monitoring recombination genome-wide using cytological assays and at hotspots using molecular assays, we show that juvenile mouse spermatocytes have fewer COs relative to adults. Analysis of recombination in the absence of MLH3 provides evidence for greater utilization in juveniles of pathways involving structure-selective nucleases and alternative complexes, which can act upon precursors to generate noncrossovers (NCOs) at the expense of COs. We propose that some designated CO sites fail to mature efficiently in juveniles owing to inappropriate activity of these alternative repair pathways, leading to chromosome mis-segregation. We also find lower MutLγ focus density in juvenile human spermatocytes, suggesting that weaker CO maturation efficiency may explain why younger men have a higher risk of fathering children with Down syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej J Zelazowski
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Maria Sandoval
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Lakshmi Paniker
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Holly M Hamilton
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Jiaying Han
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Mikalah A Gribbell
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Rhea Kang
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA; Program in Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA
| | - Francesca Cole
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA; Program in Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX 78957, USA.
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37
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Argunhan B, Leung WK, Afshar N, Terentyev Y, Subramanian VV, Murayama Y, Hochwagen A, Iwasaki H, Tsubouchi T, Tsubouchi H. Fundamental cell cycle kinases collaborate to ensure timely destruction of the synaptonemal complex during meiosis. EMBO J 2017; 36:2488-2509. [PMID: 28694245 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201695895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a proteinaceous macromolecular assembly that forms during meiotic prophase I and mediates adhesion of paired homologous chromosomes along their entire lengths. Although prompt disassembly of the SC during exit from prophase I is a landmark event of meiosis, the underlying mechanism regulating SC destruction has remained elusive. Here, we show that DDK (Dbf4-dependent Cdc7 kinase) is central to SC destruction. Upon exit from prophase I, Dbf4, the regulatory subunit of DDK, directly associates with and is phosphorylated by the Polo-like kinase Cdc5. In parallel, upregulated CDK1 activity also targets Dbf4. An enhanced Dbf4-Cdc5 interaction pronounced phosphorylation of Dbf4 and accelerated SC destruction, while reduced/abolished Dbf4 phosphorylation hampered destruction of SC proteins. SC destruction relieved meiotic inhibition of the ubiquitous recombinase Rad51, suggesting that the mitotic recombination machinery is reactivated following prophase I exit to repair any persisting meiotic DNA double-strand breaks. Taken together, we propose that the concerted action of DDK, Polo-like kinase, and CDK1 promotes efficient SC destruction at the end of prophase I to ensure faithful inheritance of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilge Argunhan
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, UK.,Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wing-Kit Leung
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, UK
| | - Negar Afshar
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, UK.,Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yaroslav Terentyev
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, UK
| | | | - Yasuto Murayama
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Hiroshi Iwasaki
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomomi Tsubouchi
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, UK .,National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Hideo Tsubouchi
- Genome Damage and Stability Centre, Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, UK .,National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
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38
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Sandhu R, Börner GV. Stopping chromosomes from breaking bad. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28486097 PMCID: PMC5423766 DOI: 10.7554/elife.27292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The scaffolding that holds chromosome pairs together plays a key role in limiting the levels of double-strand breaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rima Sandhu
- Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, United States
| | - G Valentin Börner
- Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, United States
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39
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Nadarajan S, Lambert TJ, Altendorfer E, Gao J, Blower MD, Waters JC, Colaiácovo MP. Polo-like kinase-dependent phosphorylation of the synaptonemal complex protein SYP-4 regulates double-strand break formation through a negative feedback loop. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28346135 PMCID: PMC5423773 DOI: 10.7554/elife.23437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is an ultrastructurally conserved proteinaceous structure that holds homologous chromosomes together and is required for the stabilization of pairing interactions and the completion of crossover (CO) formation between homologs during meiosis I. Here, we identify a novel role for a central region component of the SC, SYP-4, in negatively regulating formation of recombination-initiating double-strand breaks (DSBs) via a feedback loop triggered by crossover designation in C. elegans. We found that SYP-4 is phosphorylated dependent on Polo-like kinases PLK-1/2. SYP-4 phosphorylation depends on DSB formation and crossover designation, is required for stabilizing the SC in pachytene by switching the central region of the SC from a more dynamic to a less dynamic state, and negatively regulates DSB formation. We propose a model in which Polo-like kinases recognize crossover designation and phosphorylate SYP-4 thereby stabilizing the SC and making chromosomes less permissive for further DSB formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Talley J Lambert
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | | | - Jinmin Gao
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
| | - Michael D Blower
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States.,Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Jennifer C Waters
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
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40
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Pattabiraman D, Roelens B, Woglar A, Villeneuve AM. Meiotic recombination modulates the structure and dynamics of the synaptonemal complex during C. elegans meiosis. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006670. [PMID: 28339470 PMCID: PMC5384771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
During meiotic prophase, a structure called the synaptonemal complex (SC) assembles at the interface between aligned pairs of homologous chromosomes, and crossover recombination events occur between their DNA molecules. Here we investigate the inter-relationships between these two hallmark features of the meiotic program in the nematode C. elegans, revealing dynamic properties of the SC that are modulated by recombination. We demonstrate that the SC incorporates new subunits and switches from a more highly dynamic/labile state to a more stable state as germ cells progress through the pachytene stage of meiotic prophase. We further show that the more dynamic state of the SC is prolonged in mutants where meiotic recombination is impaired. Moreover, in meiotic mutants where recombination intermediates are present in limiting numbers, SC central region subunits become preferentially stabilized on the subset of chromosome pairs that harbor a site where pro-crossover factors COSA-1 and MutSγ are concentrated. Polo-like kinase PLK-2 becomes preferentially localized to the SCs of chromosome pairs harboring recombination sites prior to the enrichment of SC central region proteins on such chromosomes, and PLK-2 is required for this enrichment to occur. Further, late pachytene nuclei in a plk-2 mutant exhibit the more highly dynamic SC state. Together our data demonstrate that crossover recombination events elicit chromosome-autonomous stabilizing effects on the SC and implicate PLK-2 in this process. We discuss how this recombination-triggered modulation of SC state might contribute to regulatory mechanisms that operate during meiosis to ensure the formation of crossovers while at the same time limiting their numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Pattabiraman
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Baptiste Roelens
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Alexander Woglar
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Anne M. Villeneuve
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
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