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Vallés AM, Rubin T, Macaisne N, Dal Toe L, Molla-Herman A, Antoniewski C, Huynh JR. Transcriptomic analysis of meiotic genes during the mitosis-to-meiosis transition in Drosophila females. Genetics 2024:iyae130. [PMID: 39225982 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Germline cells produce gametes, which are specialized cells essential for sexual reproduction. Germline cells first amplify through several rounds of mitosis before switching to the meiotic program, which requires specific sets of proteins for DNA recombination, chromosome pairing, and segregation. Surprisingly, we previously found that some proteins of the synaptonemal complex, a prophase I meiotic structure, are already expressed and required in the mitotic region of Drosophila females. Here, to assess if additional meiotic genes were expressed earlier than expected, we isolated mitotic and meiotic cell populations to compare their RNA content. Our transcriptomic analysis reveals that all known meiosis I genes are already expressed in the mitotic region; however, only some of them are translated. As a case study, we focused on mei-W68, the Drosophila homolog of Spo11, to assess its expression at both the mRNA and protein levels and used different mutant alleles to assay for a premeiotic function. We could not detect any functional role for Mei-W68 during homologous chromosome pairing in dividing germ cells. Our study paves the way for further functional analysis of meiotic genes expressed in the mitotic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Maria Vallés
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, Université PSL, CNRS, INSERM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Thomas Rubin
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, Université PSL, CNRS, INSERM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Macaisne
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, Université PSL, CNRS, INSERM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Laurine Dal Toe
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, Université PSL, CNRS, INSERM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Anahi Molla-Herman
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, Université PSL, CNRS, INSERM, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Christophe Antoniewski
- ARTbio Bioinformatics Analysis Facility, IBPS, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Institut Français de Bioinformatique, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean-René Huynh
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, Université PSL, CNRS, INSERM, 75005 Paris, France
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2
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Gold AL, Hurlock ME, Guevara AM, Isenberg LYZ, Kim Y. Identification of the Polo-like kinase substrate required for homologous synapsis in C. elegans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.13.607834. [PMID: 39211260 PMCID: PMC11361119 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.13.607834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a zipper-like protein structure that aligns homologous chromosome pairs and regulates recombination during meiosis. Despite its conserved appearance and function, how synapsis occurs between chromosome axes remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that Polo-like kinases (PLKs) phosphorylate a single conserved residue in the disordered C-terminal tails of two paralogous SC subunits, SYP-5 and SYP-6, to establish an electrostatic interface between the SC central region and chromosome axes in C. elegans . While SYP-5/6 phosphorylation is dispensable for the ability of SC proteins to self-assemble, local phosphorylation by PLKs at the pairing center is crucial for SC elongation between homologous chromosome axes. Additionally, SYP-5/6 phosphorylation is essential for asymmetric SC disassembly and proper PLK-2 localization after crossover designation, which drives chromosome remodeling required for homolog separation during meiosis I. This work identifies a key regulatory mechanism by which localized PLK activity mediates the SC-axis interaction through phosphorylation of SYP-5/6, coupling synapsis initiation to homolog pairing.
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3
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Mikhalchenko A, Gutierrez NM, Frana D, Safaei Z, Van Dyken C, Li Y, Ma H, Koski A, Liang D, Lee SG, Amato P, Mitalipov S. Induction of somatic cell haploidy by premature cell division. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk9001. [PMID: 38457500 PMCID: PMC10923512 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk9001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Canonical mitotic and meiotic cell divisions commence with replicated chromosomes consisting of two sister chromatids. Here, we developed and explored a model of premature cell division, where nonreplicated, G0/G1-stage somatic cell nuclei are transplanted to the metaphase cytoplasm of mouse oocytes. Subsequent cell division generates daughter cells with reduced ploidy. Unexpectedly, genome sequencing analysis revealed proper segregation of homologous chromosomes, resulting in complete haploid genomes. We observed a high occurrence of somatic genome haploidization in nuclei from inbred genetic backgrounds but not in hybrids, emphasizing the importance of sequence homology between homologs. These findings suggest that premature cell division relies on mechanisms similar to meiosis I, where genome haploidization is facilitated by homologous chromosome interactions, recognition, and pairing. Unlike meiosis, no evidence of recombination between somatic cell homologs was detected. Our study offers an alternative in vitro gametogenesis approach by directly reprogramming diploid somatic cells into haploid oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei Mikhalchenko
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Nuria Marti Gutierrez
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Daniel Frana
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Zahra Safaei
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Crystal Van Dyken
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Hong Ma
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Amy Koski
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Dan Liang
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022 Anhui, China
| | - Sang-Goo Lee
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Paula Amato
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Shoukhrat Mitalipov
- Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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4
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Molinier C, Lenormand T, Haag CR. No recombination suppression in asexually produced males of Daphnia pulex. Evolution 2023; 77:1987-1999. [PMID: 37345677 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Obligate parthenogenesis (OP) is often thought to evolve by disruption of reductional meiosis and suppression of crossover recombination. In the crustacean Daphnia pulex, OP lineages, which have evolved from cyclical parthenogenetic (CP) ancestors, occasionally produce males that are capable of reductional meiosis. Here, by constructing high-density linkage maps, we find that these males show only slightly and nonsignificantly reduced recombination rates compared to CP males and females. Both meiosis disruption and recombination suppression are therefore sex-limited (or partly so), which speaks against the evolution of OP by disruption of a gene that is essential for meiosis or recombination in both sexes. The findings may be explained by female-limited action of genes that suppress recombination, but previously identified candidate genes are known to be expressed in both sexes. Alternatively, and equally consistent with the data, OP might have evolved through a reuse of the parthenogenesis pathways already present in CP and through their extension to all events of oogenesis. The causal mutations for the CP to OP transition may therefore include mutations in genes involved in oogenesis regulation and may not necessarily be restricted to genes of the "meiosis toolkit." More generally, our study emphasizes that there are many ways to achieve asexuality, and elucidating the possible mechanisms is key to ultimately identify the genes and traits involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Molinier
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Department of Algal Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tuebingen, Germany
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5
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Gordon SG, Rog O. Building the synaptonemal complex: Molecular interactions between the axis and the central region. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010822. [PMID: 37471284 PMCID: PMC10359014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The successful delivery of genetic material to gametes requires tightly regulated interactions between the parental chromosomes. Central to this regulation is a conserved chromosomal interface called the synaptonemal complex (SC), which brings the parental chromosomes in close proximity along their length. While many of its components are known, the interfaces that mediate the assembly of the SC remain a mystery. Here, we survey findings from different model systems while focusing on insight gained in the nematode C. elegans. We synthesize our current understanding of the structure, dynamics, and biophysical properties of the SC and propose mechanisms for SC assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer G. Gordon
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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6
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Tabara H, Mitani S, Mochizuki M, Kohara Y, Nagata K. A small RNA system ensures accurate homologous pairing and unpaired silencing of meiotic chromosomes. EMBO J 2023; 42:e105002. [PMID: 37078421 PMCID: PMC10233376 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020105002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, chromosomes with homologous partners undergo synaptonemal complex (SC)-mediated pairing, while the remaining unpaired chromosomes are heterochromatinized through unpaired silencing. Mechanisms underlying homolog recognition during SC formation are still unclear. Here, we show that the Caenorhabditis elegans Argonaute proteins, CSR-1 and its paralog CSR-2, interacting with 22G-RNAs, are required for synaptonemal complex formation with accurate homology. CSR-1 in nuclei and meiotic cohesin, constituting the SC lateral elements, were associated with nonsimple DNA repeats, including minisatellites and transposons, and weakly associated with coding genes. CSR-1-associated CeRep55 minisatellites were expressing 22G-RNAs and long noncoding (lnc) RNAs that colocalized with synaptonemal complexes on paired chromosomes and with cohesin regions of unpaired chromosomes. CeRep55 multilocus deletions reduced the efficiencies of homologous pairing and unpaired silencing, which were supported by the csr-1 activity. Moreover, CSR-1 and CSR-2 were required for proper heterochromatinization of unpaired chromosomes. These findings suggest that CSR-1 and CSR-2 play crucial roles in homology recognition, achieving accurate SC formation between chromosome pairs and condensing unpaired chromosomes by targeting repeat-derived lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Tabara
- Advanced Genomics CenterNational Institute of GeneticsShizuokaJapan
- Tokyo Women's Medical UniversityTokyoJapan
- Faculty of MedicineUniversity of TsukubaIbarakiJapan
| | | | | | - Yuji Kohara
- Advanced Genomics CenterNational Institute of GeneticsShizuokaJapan
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7
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Davis GM, Hipwell H, Boag PR. Oogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Sex Dev 2023; 17:73-83. [PMID: 37232019 PMCID: PMC10659005 DOI: 10.1159/000531019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans has proven itself as a valuable model for investigating metazoan biology. C. elegans have a transparent body, an invariant cell lineage, and a high level of genetic conservation which makes it a desirable model organism. Although used to elucidate many aspects of somatic biology, a distinct advantage of C. elegans is its well annotated germline which allows all aspects of oogenesis to be observed in real time within a single animal. C. elegans hermaphrodites have two U-shaped gonad arms which produce their own sperm that is later stored to fertilise their own oocytes. These two germlines take up much of the internal space of each animal and germ cells are therefore the most abundant cell present within each animal. This feature and the genetic phenotypes observed for mutant worm gonads have allowed many novel findings that established our early understanding of germ cell dynamics. The mutant phenotypes also allowed key features of meiosis and germ cell maturation to be unveiled. SUMMARY This review will focus on the key aspects that make C. elegans an outstanding model for exploring each feature of oogenesis. This will include the fundamental steps associated with germline function and germ cell maturation and will be of use for those interested in exploring reproductive metazoan biology. KEY MESSAGES Since germ cell biology is highly conserved in animals, much can be gained from study of a simple metazoan like C. elegans. Past findings have enhanced understanding on topics that would be more laborious or challenging in more complex animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M. Davis
- Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability, Federation University, Churchill, VIC, Australia
| | - Hayleigh Hipwell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter R. Boag
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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8
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Zhang Q, Chen HJ, Xie CZ, Qiu GF. Potential role for the germ cell-specific Rad21 in early meiosis of oocyte and spermatocyte in the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis. Gene 2023; 862:147262. [PMID: 36764338 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Rad21/Rec8 family proteins are vital for sister chromatid segregation in mitosis and homologous recombination in meiosis, but no molecular data are available in crustacean species. In this study, a germ cell-specific Rad21 named EsRad21 was identified in the crab Eriocheir sinensis. EsRad21 mRNA has an open reading frame of 2310 base pairs (bp) encoding a 769 amino acids (aa) protein. RT-PCR showed that EsRad21 mRNA was particularly expressed in testis and ovary. The RT-qPCR results further revealed that the EsRad21 mRNA exhibited similar expression pattern in gonads at various developmental stages. EsRad21 mRNA expression level was the highest in testis at early spermatogenesis stage and ovaries at previtellogenesis stage, thereafter decreased significantly at middle spermatogenesis and vitellogenesis, and finally reach the lowest level at late spermatogenesis and vitellogenesis. In situ hybridization (ISH) analysis showed that EsRad21 mRNA was exclusively expressed in germline cells, but not in gonadal somatic cells. Notably, hybridized signal was detected on chromosomes of metaphase spermatocytes. EsRad21 is thus an underlying helpful indicator of the early phases of germ cell development. RNAi knockdown of EsRad21 downregulated the expression of other meiosis-related genes like Smc5-Smc6 and SPO11 and resulted in high mortality of individuals after 24 h post injection of EsRad21 dsRNA. Taken together, our results showed a potential role for EsRad21 in early meiosis of oocytes and spermatocytes in E. sinensis. This is the first report on the molecular characterization of the Rad21 transcript in a crustacean species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zhang
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Hong-Jun Chen
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Chi-Zhen Xie
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Gao-Feng Qiu
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
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9
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Wang Y, Zhou L, Guo H, Cheng H. Genome-Wide Analysis of the Rad21/ REC8 Gene Family in Cotton ( Gossypium spp.). Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14050993. [PMID: 37239353 DOI: 10.3390/genes14050993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cohesin is a ring-shaped protein complex and plays a critical role in sister chromosome cohesion, which is a key event during mitosis and meiosis. Meiotic recombination protein REC8 is one of the subunits of the cohesion complex. Although REC8 genes have been characterized in some plant species, little is known about them in Gossypium. In this study, 89 REC8 genes were identified and analyzed in 16 plant species (including 4 Gossypium species); 12 REC8 genes were identified in Gossypium. hirsutum, 11 in Gossypium. barbadense, 7 in Gossypium. raimondii, and 5 in Gossypium. arboreum. In a phylogenetic analysis, the 89 RCE8 genes clustered into 6 subfamilies (I-VI). The chromosome location, exon-intron structure, and motifs of the REC8 genes in the Gossypium species were also analyzed. Expression patterns of GhREC8 genes in various tissues and under abiotic stress treatments were analyzed based on public RNA-seq data, which indicated that GhREC8 genes might have different functions in growth and development. Additionally, qRT-PCR analysis showed that MeJA, GA, SA, and ABA treatments could induce the expression of GhREC8 genes. In general, the genes of the REC8 gene family of cotton were systematically analyzed, and their potential function in cotton mitosis, meiosis, and in response to abiotic stress and hormones were preliminary predicted, which provided an important basis for further research on cotton development and resistance to abiotic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Lili Zhou
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Huiming Guo
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya 572024, China
| | - Hongmei Cheng
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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10
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Almanzar DE, Gordon SG, Bristow C, Hamrick A, von Diezmann L, Liu H, Rog O. Meiotic DNA exchanges in C. elegans are promoted by proximity to the synaptonemal complex. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202301906. [PMID: 36697255 PMCID: PMC9877436 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202301906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, programmed double-strand DNA breaks are repaired to form exchanges between the parental chromosomes called crossovers. Chromosomes lacking a crossover fail to segregate accurately into the gametes, leading to aneuploidy. In addition to engaging the homolog, crossover formation requires the promotion of exchanges, rather than non-exchanges, as repair products. However, the mechanism underlying this meiosis-specific preference is not fully understood. Here, we study the regulation of meiotic sister chromatid exchanges in Caenorhabditis elegans by direct visualization. We find that a conserved chromosomal interface that promotes exchanges between the parental chromosomes, the synaptonemal complex, can also promote exchanges between the sister chromatids. In both cases, exchanges depend on the recruitment of the same set of pro-exchange factors to repair sites. Surprisingly, although the synaptonemal complex usually assembles between the two DNA molecules undergoing an exchange, its activity does not rely on a specific chromosome conformation. This suggests that the synaptonemal complex regulates exchanges-both crossovers and sister exchanges-by establishing a nuclear domain conducive to nearby recruitment of exchange-promoting factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Almanzar
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Spencer G Gordon
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chloe Bristow
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Antonia Hamrick
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lexy von Diezmann
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Hanwenheng Liu
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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11
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MacKenzie A, Vicory V, Lacefield S. Meiotic cells escape prolonged spindle checkpoint activity through kinetochore silencing and slippage. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010707. [PMID: 37018287 PMCID: PMC10109492 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
To prevent chromosome mis-segregation, a surveillance mechanism known as the spindle checkpoint delays the cell cycle if kinetochores are not attached to spindle microtubules, allowing the cell additional time to correct improper attachments. During spindle checkpoint activation, checkpoint proteins bind the unattached kinetochore and send a diffusible signal to inhibit the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C). Previous work has shown that mitotic cells with depolymerized microtubules can escape prolonged spindle checkpoint activation in a process called mitotic slippage. During slippage, spindle checkpoint proteins bind unattached kinetochores, but the cells cannot maintain the checkpoint arrest. We asked if meiotic cells had as robust of a spindle checkpoint response as mitotic cells and whether they also undergo slippage after prolonged spindle checkpoint activity. We performed a direct comparison between mitotic and meiotic budding yeast cells that signal the spindle checkpoint through two different assays. We find that the spindle checkpoint delay is shorter in meiosis I or meiosis II compared to mitosis, overcoming a checkpoint arrest approximately 150 minutes earlier in meiosis than in mitosis. In addition, cells in meiosis I escape spindle checkpoint signaling using two mechanisms, silencing the checkpoint at the kinetochore and through slippage. We propose that meiotic cells undertake developmentally-regulated mechanisms to prevent persistent spindle checkpoint activity to ensure the production of gametes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne MacKenzie
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Victoria Vicory
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Soni Lacefield
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
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12
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Yu Z, Kim HJ, Dernburg AF. ATM signaling modulates cohesin behavior in meiotic prophase and proliferating cells. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:436-450. [PMID: 36879153 PMCID: PMC10113158 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-00929-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Cohesins are ancient and ubiquitous regulators of chromosome architecture and function, but their diverse roles and regulation remain poorly understood. During meiosis, chromosomes are reorganized as linear arrays of chromatin loops around a cohesin axis. This unique organization underlies homolog pairing, synapsis, double-stranded break induction, and recombination. We report that axis assembly in Caenorhabditis elegans is promoted by DNA-damage response (DDR) kinases that are activated at meiotic entry, even in the absence of DNA breaks. Downregulation of the cohesin-destabilizing factor WAPL-1 by ATM-1 promotes axis association of cohesins containing the meiotic kleisins COH-3 and COH-4. ECO-1 and PDS-5 also contribute to stabilizing axis-associated meiotic cohesins. Further, our data suggest that cohesin-enriched domains that promote DNA repair in mammalian cells also depend on WAPL inhibition by ATM. Thus, DDR and Wapl seem to play conserved roles in cohesin regulation in meiotic prophase and proliferating cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouliang Yu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.,Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Hyung Jun Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Abby F Dernburg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA. .,Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. .,California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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13
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Ito M, Shinohara A. Chromosome architecture and homologous recombination in meiosis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 10:1097446. [PMID: 36684419 PMCID: PMC9853400 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1097446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiocytes organize higher-order chromosome structures comprising arrays of chromatin loops organized at their bases by linear axes. As meiotic prophase progresses, the axes of homologous chromosomes align and synapse along their lengths to form ladder-like structures called synaptonemal complexes (SCs). The entire process of meiotic recombination, from initiation via programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) to completion of DSB repair with crossover or non-crossover outcomes, occurs in the context of chromosome axes and SCs. These meiosis-specific chromosome structures provide specialized environments for the regulation of DSB formation and crossing over. In this review, we summarize insights into the importance of chromosome architecture in the regulation of meiotic recombination, focusing on cohesin-mediated axis formation, DSB regulation via tethered loop-axis complexes, inter-homolog template bias facilitated by axial proteins, and crossover regulation in the context of the SCs. We also discuss emerging evidence that the SUMO and the ubiquitin-proteasome system function in the organization of chromosome structure and regulation of meiotic recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Ito
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akira Shinohara
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
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14
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MacKenzie A, Vicory V, Lacefield S. Meiotic Cells Escape Prolonged Spindle Checkpoint Activity Through Premature Silencing and Slippage. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.02.522494. [PMID: 36711621 PMCID: PMC9881877 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.02.522494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
To prevent chromosome mis-segregation, a surveillance mechanism known as the spindle checkpoint delays the cell cycle if kinetochores are not attached to spindle microtubules, allowing the cell additional time to correct improper attachments. During spindle checkpoint activation, checkpoint proteins bind the unattached kinetochore and send a diffusible signal to inhibit the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C). Previous work has shown that mitotic cells with depolymerized microtubules can escape prolonged spindle checkpoint activation in a process called mitotic slippage. During slippage, spindle checkpoint proteins bind unattached kinetochores, but the cells cannot maintain the checkpoint arrest. We asked if meiotic cells had as robust of a spindle checkpoint response as mitotic cells and whether they also undergo slippage after prolonged spindle checkpoint activity. We performed a direct comparison between mitotic and meiotic budding yeast cells that signal the spindle checkpoint due to a lack of either kinetochore-microtubule attachments or due to a loss of tension-bearing attachments. We find that the spindle checkpoint is not as robust in meiosis I or meiosis II compared to mitosis, overcoming a checkpoint arrest approximately 150 minutes earlier in meiosis. In addition, cells in meiosis I escape spindle checkpoint signaling using two mechanisms, silencing the checkpoint at the kinetochore and through slippage. We propose that meiotic cells undertake developmentally-regulated mechanisms to prevent persistent spindle checkpoint activity to ensure the production of gametes. AUTHOR SUMMARY Mitosis and meiosis are the two major types of cell divisions. Mitosis gives rise to genetically identical daughter cells, while meiosis is a reductional division that gives rise to gametes. Cell cycle checkpoints are highly regulated surveillance mechanisms that prevent cell cycle progression when circumstances are unfavorable. The spindle checkpoint promotes faithful chromosome segregation to safeguard against aneuploidy, in which cells have too many or too few chromosomes. The spindle checkpoint is activated at the kinetochore and then diffuses to inhibit cell cycle progression. Although the checkpoint is active in both mitosis and meiosis, most studies involving checkpoint regulation have been performed in mitosis. By activating the spindle checkpoint in both mitosis and meiosis in budding yeast, we show that cells in meiosis elicit a less persistent checkpoint signal compared to cells in mitosis. Further, we show that cells use distinct mechanisms to escape the checkpoint in mitosis and meiosis I. While cells in mitosis and meiosis II undergo anaphase onset while retaining checkpoint proteins at the kinetochore, cells in meiosis I prematurely lose checkpoint protein localization at the kinetochore. If the mechanism to remove the checkpoint components from the kinetochore is disrupted, meiosis I cells can still escape checkpoint activity. Together, these results highlight that cell cycle checkpoints are differentially regulated during meiosis to avoid long delays and to allow gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne MacKenzie
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN USA
| | - Victoria Vicory
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN USA
| | - Soni Lacefield
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN USA,Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed to Soni Lacefield:
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15
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Cohesin is required for meiotic spindle assembly independent of its role in cohesion in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010136. [PMID: 36279281 PMCID: PMC9632809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate chromosome segregation requires a cohesin-mediated physical attachment between chromosomes that are to be segregated apart, and a bipolar spindle with microtubule plus ends emanating from exactly two poles toward the paired chromosomes. We asked whether the striking bipolar structure of C. elegans meiotic chromosomes is required for bipolarity of acentriolar female meiotic spindles by time-lapse imaging of mutants that lack cohesion between chromosomes. Both a spo-11 rec-8 coh-4 coh-3 quadruple mutant and a spo-11 rec-8 double mutant entered M phase with separated sister chromatids lacking any cohesion. However, the quadruple mutant formed an apolar spindle whereas the double mutant formed a bipolar spindle that segregated chromatids into two roughly equal masses. Residual non-cohesive COH-3/4-dependent cohesin on separated sister chromatids of the double mutant was sufficient to recruit haspin-dependent Aurora B kinase, which mediated bipolar spindle assembly in the apparent absence of chromosomal bipolarity. We hypothesized that cohesin-dependent Aurora B might activate or inhibit spindle assembly factors in a manner that would affect their localization on chromosomes and found that the chromosomal localization patterns of KLP-7 and CLS-2 correlated with Aurora B loading on chromosomes. These results demonstrate that cohesin is essential for spindle assembly and chromosome segregation independent of its role in sister chromatid cohesion.
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16
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Rourke C, Jaramillo-Lambert A. TOP-2 is differentially required for the proper maintenance of the cohesin subunit REC-8 on meiotic chromosomes in Caenorhabditis elegans spermatogenesis and oogenesis. Genetics 2022; 222:iyac120. [PMID: 35951744 PMCID: PMC9526062 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac120] [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] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During meiotic prophase I, accurate segregation of homologous chromosomes requires the establishment of chromosomes with a meiosis-specific architecture. The sister chromatid cohesin complex and the enzyme Topoisomerase II (TOP-2) are important components of meiotic chromosome architecture, but the relationship of these proteins in the context of meiotic chromosome segregation is poorly defined. Here, we analyzed the role of TOP-2 in the timely release of the sister chromatid cohesin subunit REC-8 during spermatogenesis and oogenesis of Caenorhabditis elegans. We show that there is a different requirement for TOP-2 in meiosis of spermatogenesis and oogenesis. The loss-of-function mutation top-2(it7) results in premature REC-8 removal in spermatogenesis, but not oogenesis. This correlates with a failure to maintain the HORMA-domain proteins HTP-1 and HTP-2 (HTP-1/2) on chromosome axes at diakinesis and mislocalization of the downstream components that control REC-8 release including Aurora B kinase. In oogenesis, top-2(it7) causes a delay in the localization of Aurora B to oocyte chromosomes but can be rescued through premature activation of the maturation promoting factor via knockdown of the inhibitor kinase WEE-1.3. The delay in Aurora B localization is associated with an increase in the length of diakinesis bivalents and wee-1.3 RNAi mediated rescue of Aurora B localization in top-2(it7) is associated with a decrease in diakinesis bivalent length. Our results imply that the sex-specific effects of TOP-2 on REC-8 release are due to differences in the temporal regulation of meiosis and chromosome structure in late prophase I in spermatogenesis and oogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Rourke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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17
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Čavka I, Power RM, Walsh D, Zimmermann T, Köhler S. Super-Resolution Microscopy of the Synaptonemal Complex within the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline. J Vis Exp 2022:10.3791/64363. [PMID: 36190293 PMCID: PMC7614930 DOI: 10.3791/64363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, homologous chromosomes must recognize and adhere to one another to allow for their correct segregation. One of the key events that secures the interaction of homologous chromosomes is the assembly of the synaptonemal complex (SC) in meiotic prophase I. Even though there is little sequence homology between protein components within the SC among different species, the general structure of the SC has been highly conserved during evolution. In electron micrographs, the SC appears as a tripartite, ladder-like structure composed of lateral elements or axes, transverse filaments, and a central element. However, precisely identifying the localization of individual components within the complex by electron microscopy to determine the molecular structure of the SC remains challenging. By contrast, fluorescence microscopy allows for the identification of individual protein components within the complex. However, since the SC is only ~100 nm wide, its substructure cannot be resolved by diffraction-limited conventional fluorescence microscopy. Thus, determining the molecular architecture of the SC requires super-resolution light microscopy techniques such as structured illumination microscopy (SIM), stimulated-emission depletion (STED) microscopy, or single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM). To maintain the structure and interactions of individual components within the SC, it is important to observe the complex in an environment that is close to its native environment in the germ cells. Therefore, we demonstrate an immunohistochemistry and imaging protocol that enables the study of the substructure of the SC in intact, extruded Caenorhabditis elegans germline tissue with SMLM and STED microscopy. Directly fixing the tissue to the coverslip reduces the movement of the samples during imaging and minimizes aberrations in the sample to achieve the high resolution necessary to visualize the substructure of the SC in its biological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Čavka
- Cell Biology and Biophysics, European Molecular Biology Laboratory; Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences
| | - Rory M Power
- EMBL Imaging Centre, European Molecular Biology Laboratory
| | - Dietrich Walsh
- EMBL Imaging Centre, European Molecular Biology Laboratory
| | - Timo Zimmermann
- Cell Biology and Biophysics, European Molecular Biology Laboratory; EMBL Imaging Centre, European Molecular Biology Laboratory;
| | - Simone Köhler
- Cell Biology and Biophysics, European Molecular Biology Laboratory;
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18
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Das D, Trivedi S, Blazícková J, Arur S, Silva N. Phosphorylation of HORMA-domain protein HTP-3 at Serine 285 is dispensable for crossover formation. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac079. [PMID: 35389463 PMCID: PMC9073698 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Generation of functional gametes is accomplished through a multilayered and finely orchestrated succession of events during meiotic progression. In the Caenorhabditis elegans germline, the HORMA-domain-containing protein HTP-3 plays pivotal roles for the establishment of chromosome axes and the efficient induction of programmed DNA double-strand breaks, both of which are crucial for crossover formation. Double-strand breaks allow for accurate chromosome segregation during the first meiotic division and therefore are an essential requirement for the production of healthy gametes. Phosphorylation-dependent regulation of HORMAD protein plays important roles in controlling meiotic chromosome behavior. Here, we document a phospho-site in HTP-3 at Serine 285 that is constitutively phosphorylated during meiotic prophase I. pHTP-3S285 localization overlaps with panHTP-3 except in nuclei undergoing physiological apoptosis, in which pHTP-3 is absent. Surprisingly, we observed that phosphorylation of HTP-3 at S285 is independent of the canonical kinases that control meiotic progression in nematodes. During meiosis, the htp-3(S285A) mutant displays accelerated RAD-51 turnover, but no other meiotic abnormalities. Altogether, these data indicate that the Ser285 phosphorylation is independent of canonical meiotic protein kinases and does not regulate HTP-3-dependent meiotic processes. We propose a model wherein phosphorylation of HTP-3 occurs through noncanonical or redundant meiotic kinases and/or is likely redundant with additional phospho-sites for function in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debabrata Das
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shalini Trivedi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Blazícková
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Swathi Arur
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nicola Silva
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
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19
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Sakuno T, Tashiro S, Tanizawa H, Iwasaki O, Ding DQ, Haraguchi T, Noma KI, Hiraoka Y. Rec8 Cohesin-mediated Axis-loop chromatin architecture is required for meiotic recombination. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:3799-3816. [PMID: 35333350 PMCID: PMC9023276 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During meiotic prophase, cohesin-dependent axial structures are formed in the synaptonemal complex (SC). However, the functional correlation between these structures and cohesion remains elusive. Here, we examined the formation of cohesin-dependent axial structures in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. This organism forms atypical SCs composed of linear elements (LinEs) resembling the lateral elements of SC but lacking the transverse filaments. Hi-C analysis using a highly synchronous population of meiotic S. pombe cells revealed that the axis-loop chromatin structure formed in meiotic prophase was dependent on the Rec8 cohesin complex. In contrast, the Rec8-mediated formation of the axis-loop structure occurred in cells lacking components of LinEs. To dissect the functions of Rec8, we identified a rec8-F204S mutant that lost the ability to assemble the axis-loop structure without losing cohesion of sister chromatids. This mutant showed defects in the formation of the axis-loop structure and LinE assembly and thus exhibited reduced meiotic recombination. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the Rec8-dependent axis-loop structure provides a structural platform essential for LinE assembly, facilitating meiotic recombination of homologous chromosomes, independently of its role in sister chromatid cohesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Sakuno
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Sanki Tashiro
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Hideki Tanizawa
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Osamu Iwasaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Da-Qiao Ding
- Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe 651-2492, Japan
| | - Tokuko Haraguchi
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Noma
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
- Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0815, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hiraoka
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
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20
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Baudrimont A, Paouneskou D, Mohammad A, Lichtenberger R, Blundon J, Kim Y, Hartl M, Falk S, Schedl T, Jantsch V. Release of CHK-2 from PPM-1.D anchorage schedules meiotic entry. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl8861. [PMID: 35171669 PMCID: PMC8849337 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl8861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Transition from the stem/progenitor cell fate to meiosis is mediated by several redundant posttranscriptional regulatory pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans. Interfering with all three branches causes tumorous germ lines. SCFPROM-1 comprises one branch and mediates a scheduled degradation step at entry into meiosis. prom-1 mutants show defects in the timely initiation of meiotic prophase I events, resulting in high rates of embryonic lethality. Here, we identify the phosphatase PPM-1.D/Wip1 as crucial substrate for PROM-1. We report that PPM-1.D antagonizes CHK-2 kinase, a key regulator for meiotic prophase initiation, including DNA double-strand breaks, chromosome pairing, and synaptonemal complex formation. We propose that PPM-1.D controls the amount of active CHK-2 via both catalytic and noncatalytic activities; notably, noncatalytic regulation seems to be crucial at meiotic entry. PPM-1.D sequesters CHK-2 at the nuclear periphery, and programmed SCFPROM-1-mediated degradation of PPM-1.D liberates the kinase and promotes meiotic entry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Baudrimont
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dimitra Paouneskou
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ariz Mohammad
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Raffael Lichtenberger
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Joshua Blundon
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yumi Kim
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Markus Hartl
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Falk
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tim Schedl
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Verena Jantsch
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
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21
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Sakuno T, Hiraoka Y. Rec8 Cohesin: A Structural Platform for Shaping the Meiotic Chromosomes. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:200. [PMID: 35205245 PMCID: PMC8871791 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is critically different from mitosis in that during meiosis, pairing and segregation of homologous chromosomes occur. During meiosis, the morphology of sister chromatids changes drastically, forming a prominent axial structure in the synaptonemal complex. The meiosis-specific cohesin complex plays a central role in the regulation of the processes required for recombination. In particular, the Rec8 subunit of the meiotic cohesin complex, which is conserved in a wide range of eukaryotes, has been analyzed for its function in modulating chromosomal architecture during the pairing and recombination of homologous chromosomes in meiosis. Here, we review the current understanding of Rec8 cohesin as a structural platform for meiotic chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasushi Hiraoka
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan;
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22
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Singh R, Smit RB, Wang X, Wang C, Racher H, Hansen D. Reduction of Derlin activity suppresses Notch-dependent tumours in the C. elegans germ line. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009687. [PMID: 34555015 PMCID: PMC8491880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009687] [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: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulating the balance between self-renewal (proliferation) and differentiation is key to the long-term functioning of all stem cell pools. In the Caenorhabditis elegans germline, the primary signal controlling this balance is the conserved Notch signaling pathway. Gain-of-function mutations in the GLP-1/Notch receptor cause increased stem cell self-renewal, resulting in a tumour of proliferating germline stem cells. Notch gain-of-function mutations activate the receptor, even in the presence of little or no ligand, and have been associated with many human diseases, including cancers. We demonstrate that reduction in CUP-2 and DER-2 function, which are Derlin family proteins that function in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD), suppresses the C. elegans germline over-proliferation phenotype associated with glp-1(gain-of-function) mutations. We further demonstrate that their reduction does not suppress other mutations that cause over-proliferation, suggesting that over-proliferation suppression due to loss of Derlin activity is specific to glp-1/Notch (gain-of-function) mutations. Reduction of CUP-2 Derlin activity reduces the expression of a read-out of GLP-1/Notch signaling, suggesting that the suppression of over-proliferation in Derlin loss-of-function mutants is due to a reduction in the activity of the mutated GLP-1/Notch(GF) receptor. Over-proliferation suppression in cup-2 mutants is only seen when the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) is functioning properly, suggesting that the suppression, and reduction in GLP-1/Notch signaling levels, observed in Derlin mutants may be the result of activation of the UPR. Chemically inducing ER stress also suppress glp-1(gf) over-proliferation but not other mutations that cause over-proliferation. Therefore, ER stress and activation of the UPR may help correct for increased GLP-1/Notch signaling levels, and associated over-proliferation, in the C. elegans germline. Notch signaling is a highly conserved signaling pathway that is utilized in many cell fate decisions in many organisms. In the C. elegans germline, Notch signaling is the primary signal that regulates the balance between stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Notch gain-of-function mutations cause the receptor to be active, even when a signal that is normally needed to activate the receptor is absent. In the germline of C. elegans, gain-of-function mutations in GLP-1, a Notch receptor, results in over-proliferation of the stem cells and tumour formation. Here we demonstrate that a reduction or loss of Derlin activity, which is a conserved family of proteins involved in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD), suppresses over-proliferation due to GLP-1/Notch gain-of-function mutations. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a surveillance mechanism utilized in cells to monitor and react to proteins that are not folded properly (Unfolded Protein Response-UPR) must be functioning well in order for the loss of Derlin activity to supress over-proliferation caused by glp-1/Notch gain-of-function mutations. This suggests that activation of the UPR may be the mechanism at work for suppressing this type of over-proliferation, when Derlin activity is reduced. Therefore, decreasing Derlin activity may be a means of reducing the impact of phenotypes and diseases due to certain Notch gain-of-function mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramya Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Ryan B. Smit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Chris Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Hilary Racher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Dave Hansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- * E-mail:
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23
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Abstract
The specialized two-stage meiotic cell division program halves a cell's chromosome complement in preparation for sexual reproduction. This reduction in ploidy requires that in meiotic prophase, each pair of homologous chromosomes (homologs) identify one another and form physical links through DNA recombination. Here, we review recent advances in understanding the complex morphological changes that chromosomes undergo during meiotic prophase to promote homolog identification and crossing over. We focus on the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) family cohesin complexes and the meiotic chromosome axis, which together organize chromosomes and promote recombination. We then discuss the architecture and dynamics of the conserved synaptonemal complex (SC), which assembles between homologs and mediates local and global feedback to ensure high fidelity in meiotic recombination. Finally, we discuss exciting new advances, including mechanisms for boosting recombination on particular chromosomes or chromosomal domains and the implications of a new liquid crystal model for SC assembly and structure. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genetics, Volume 55 is November 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N Ur
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA; ,
| | - Kevin D Corbett
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA; , .,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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24
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Blokhina YP, Frees MA, Nguyen A, Sharifi M, Chu DB, Bispo K, Olaya I, Draper BW, Burgess SM. Rad21l1 cohesin subunit is dispensable for spermatogenesis but not oogenesis in zebrafish. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009127. [PMID: 34138874 PMCID: PMC8291703 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiosis I, ring-shaped cohesin complexes play important roles in aiding the proper segregation of homologous chromosomes. RAD21L is a meiosis-specific vertebrate cohesin that is required for spermatogenesis in mice but is dispensable for oogenesis in young animals. The role of this cohesin in other vertebrate models has not been explored. Here, we tested if the zebrafish homolog Rad21l1 is required for meiotic chromosome dynamics during spermatogenesis and oogenesis. We found that Rad21l1 localizes to unsynapsed chromosome axes. It is also found between the axes of the mature tripartite synaptonemal complex (SC) in both sexes. We knocked out rad21l1 and found that nearly all rad21l1-/- mutants develop as fertile males, suggesting that the mutation causes a defect in juvenile oogenesis, since insufficient oocyte production triggers female to male sex reversal in zebrafish. Sex reversal was partially suppressed by mutation of the checkpoint gene tp53, suggesting that the rad21l1 mutation activates Tp53-mediated apoptosis or arrest in females. This response, however, is not linked to a defect in repairing Spo11-induced double-strand breaks since deletion of spo11 does not suppress the sex reversal phenotype. Compared to tp53 single mutant controls, rad21l1-/- tp53-/- double mutant females produce poor quality eggs that often die or develop into malformed embryos. Overall, these results indicate that the absence of rad21l1-/- females is due to a checkpoint-mediated response and highlight a role for a meiotic-specific cohesin subunit in oogenesis but not spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana P. Blokhina
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Michelle A. Frees
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - An Nguyen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Masuda Sharifi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel B. Chu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Kristi Bispo
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Ivan Olaya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Bruce W. Draper
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Sean M. Burgess
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
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25
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Almanzar DE, Gordon SG, Rog O. Meiotic sister chromatid exchanges are rare in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1499-1507.e3. [PMID: 33740426 PMCID: PMC8051885 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction shuffles the parental genomes to generate new genetic combinations. To achieve that, the genome is subjected to numerous double-strand breaks, the repair of which involves two crucial decisions: repair pathway and repair template.1 Use of crossover pathways with the homologous chromosome as template exchanges genetic information and directs chromosome segregation. Crossover repair, however, can compromise the integrity of the repair template and is therefore tightly regulated. The extent to which crossover pathways are used during sister-directed repair is unclear because the identical sister chromatids are difficult to distinguish. Nonetheless, indirect assays have led to the suggestion that inter-sister crossovers, or sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), are quite common.2-11 Here we devised a technique to directly score physiological SCEs in the C. elegans germline using selective sister chromatid labeling with the thymidine analog 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU). Surprisingly, we find SCEs to be rare in meiosis, accounting for <2% of repair events. SCEs remain rare even when the homologous chromosome is unavailable, indicating that almost all sister-directed repair is channeled into noncrossover pathways. We identify two mechanisms that limit SCEs. First, SCEs are elevated in the absence of the RecQ helicase BLMHIM-6. Second, the synaptonemal complex-a conserved interface that promotes crossover repair12,13-promotes SCEs when localized between the sisters. Our data suggest that crossover pathways in C. elegans are only used to generate the single necessary link between the homologous chromosomes. Noncrossover pathways repair almost all other breaks, regardless of the repair template.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Almanzar
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840, USA
| | - Spencer G Gordon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840, USA
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840, USA.
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Wang Q, Lin F, He Q, Huang Q, Duan X, Liu X, Xiao S, Yang H, Zhao H. Cloning and characterization of rec8 gene in orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) and Dmrt1 regulation of rec8 promoter activity. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2021; 47:393-407. [PMID: 33547601 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-020-00920-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Meiosis is a specialized type of cell division critical for gamete production during sexual reproduction in eukaryotes. The meiotic recombination protein Rec8 has been identified as an important factor in germ cell meiotic initiation in vertebrates; however, its equivalent role in teleosts is poorly characterized. In this study, we cloned and sequenced the rec8 gene from orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides). The cDNA sequence consisted of 2244 base pairs (bp), including a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 198 bp and a 3'UTR of 284 bp. The open reading frame of grouper rec8 was 1752 bp, encoding 584 amino acids. Expression levels of rec8 were higher in the ovary, intersex gonad, and testis. A neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree based on the deduced amino acid sequence indicated a common origin for grouper and other teleost rec8 molecules. Immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal anti-Rec8 antibody localized the protein in the oogonia and primary oocytes in the ovary and in spermatogonia and spermatocytes in the intersex gonad and testis, suggesting that Rec8 may play an important role in the meiotic division and the development of grouper germ cells. In addition, we found that the transcription factor Dmrt1 increased rec8 promoter activity through the second binding site, based on dual-luciferase assays. Together, these results suggest that Rec8 plays a crucial role in meiosis and may be regulated by Dmrt1 to affect meiosis in groupers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangmei Lin
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi He
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Qifeng Huang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuzhuo Duan
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaochun Liu
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiqiang Xiao
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Huirong Yang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
| | - HuiHong Zhao
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, Guangzhou, 510642, People's Republic of China.
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27
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Biswas L, Tyc K, Yakoubi WE, Morgan K, Xing J, Schindler K. Meiosis interrupted: the genetics of female infertility via meiotic failure. Reproduction 2021; 161:R13-R35. [PMID: 33170803 PMCID: PMC7855740 DOI: 10.1530/rep-20-0422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Idiopathic or 'unexplained' infertility represents as many as 30% of infertility cases worldwide. Conception, implantation, and term delivery of developmentally healthy infants require chromosomally normal (euploid) eggs and sperm. The crux of euploid egg production is error-free meiosis. Pathologic genetic variants dysregulate meiotic processes that occur during prophase I, meiotic resumption, chromosome segregation, and in cell cycle regulation. This dysregulation can result in chromosomally abnormal (aneuploid) eggs. In turn, egg aneuploidy leads to a broad range of clinical infertility phenotypes, including primary ovarian insufficiency and early menopause, egg fertilization failure and embryonic developmental arrest, or recurrent pregnancy loss. Therefore, maternal genetic variants are emerging as infertility biomarkers, which could allow informed reproductive decision-making. Here, we select and deeply examine human genetic variants that likely cause dysregulation of critical meiotic processes in 14 female infertility-associated genes: SYCP3, SYCE1, TRIP13, PSMC3IP, DMC1, MCM8, MCM9, STAG3, PATL2, TUBB8, CEP120, AURKB, AURKC, andWEE2. We discuss the function of each gene in meiosis, explore genotype-phenotype relationships, and delineate the frequencies of infertility-associated variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leelabati Biswas
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Katarzyna Tyc
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Warif El Yakoubi
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Katie Morgan
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jinchuan Xing
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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28
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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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29
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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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30
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Woglar A, Yamaya K, Roelens B, Boettiger A, Köhler S, Villeneuve AM. Quantitative cytogenetics reveals molecular stoichiometry and longitudinal organization of meiotic chromosome axes and loops. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000817. [PMID: 32813728 PMCID: PMC7458323 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, chromosomes adopt a specialized organization involving assembly of a cohesin-based axis along their lengths, with DNA loops emanating from this axis. We applied novel, quantitative, and widely applicable cytogenetic strategies to elucidate the molecular bases of this organization using Caenorhabditis elegans. Analyses of wild-type (WT) chromosomes and de novo circular minichromosomes revealed that meiosis-specific HORMA-domain proteins assemble into cohorts in defined numbers and co-organize the axis together with 2 functionally distinct cohesin complexes (REC-8 and COH-3/4) in defined stoichiometry. We further found that REC-8 cohesins, which load during S phase and mediate sister-chromatid cohesion, usually occur as individual complexes, supporting a model wherein sister cohesion is mediated locally by a single cohesin ring. REC-8 complexes are interspersed in an alternating pattern with cohorts of axis-organizing COH-3/4 complexes (averaging 3 per cohort), which are insufficient to confer cohesion but can bind to individual chromatids, suggesting a mechanism to enable formation of asymmetric sister-chromatid loops. Indeed, immunofluorescence/fluorescence in situ hybridization (immuno-FISH) assays demonstrate frequent asymmetry in genomic content between the loops formed on sister chromatids. We discuss how features of chromosome axis/loop architecture inferred from our data can help to explain enigmatic, yet essential, aspects of the meiotic program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Woglar
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Kei Yamaya
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Baptiste Roelens
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Alistair Boettiger
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Simone Köhler
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne M. Villeneuve
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
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31
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Hofstatter PG, Ribeiro GM, Porfírio‐Sousa AL, Lahr DJG. The Sexual Ancestor of all Eukaryotes: A Defense of the “Meiosis Toolkit”. Bioessays 2020; 42:e2000037. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paulo G. Hofstatter
- Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Biociencias, Rua do Matão, travessa 14, A101. São Paulo, CEP.: 05508‐090, Brazil
| | - Giulia M. Ribeiro
- Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Biociencias, Rua do Matão, travessa 14, A101. São Paulo, CEP.: 05508‐090, Brazil
| | - Alfredo L. Porfírio‐Sousa
- Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Biociencias, Rua do Matão, travessa 14, A101. São Paulo, CEP.: 05508‐090, Brazil
| | - Daniel J. G. Lahr
- Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Biociencias, Rua do Matão, travessa 14, A101. São Paulo, CEP.: 05508‐090, Brazil
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32
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Mohammad A, Chen J, Schedl T. Role of GLD-3 in suppression of the germline stem cell fate. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2020; 2020. [PMID: 32550517 PMCID: PMC7252953 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ariz Mohammad
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Tim Schedl
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri 63110
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33
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Garcia-Muse T, Galindo-Diaz U, Garcia-Rubio M, Martin JS, Polanowska J, O'Reilly N, Aguilera A, Boulton SJ. A Meiotic Checkpoint Alters Repair Partner Bias to Permit Inter-sister Repair of Persistent DSBs. Cell Rep 2020; 26:775-787.e5. [PMID: 30650366 PMCID: PMC6334227 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.12.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate meiotic chromosome segregation critically depends on the formation of inter-homolog crossovers initiated by double-strand breaks (DSBs). Inaccuracies in this process can drive aneuploidy and developmental defects, but how meiotic cells are protected from unscheduled DNA breaks remains unexplored. Here we define a checkpoint response to persistent meiotic DSBs in C. elegans that phosphorylates the synaptonemal complex (SC) to switch repair partner from the homolog to the sister chromatid. A key target of this response is the core SC component SYP-1, which is phosphorylated in response to ionizing radiation (IR) or unrepaired meiotic DSBs. Failure to phosphorylate (syp-16A) or dephosphorylate (syp-16D) SYP-1 in response to DNA damage results in chromosome non-dysjunction, hyper-sensitivity to IR-induced DSBs, and synthetic lethality with loss of brc-1BRCA1. Since BRC-1 is required for inter-sister repair, these observations reveal that checkpoint-dependent SYP-1 phosphorylation safeguards the germline against persistent meiotic DSBs by channelling repair to the sister chromatid. Meiotic DNA damage triggers phosphorylation of the synaptonemal complex (SC) ATM-ATR kinases phosphorylate the SC in response to excessive meiotic DSBs SC phosphorylation channels DNA repair to the sister chromatid
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Garcia-Muse
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Av. Américo Vespucio 24, 41092 Seville, Spain; Clare Hall Laboratories, Blanche Lane, South Mimms EN6 3LD, UK.
| | - U Galindo-Diaz
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Av. Américo Vespucio 24, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - M Garcia-Rubio
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Av. Américo Vespucio 24, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - J S Martin
- Clare Hall Laboratories, Blanche Lane, South Mimms EN6 3LD, UK
| | - J Polanowska
- Clare Hall Laboratories, Blanche Lane, South Mimms EN6 3LD, UK
| | - N O'Reilly
- DSB Repair Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London, UK
| | - A Aguilera
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Av. Américo Vespucio 24, 41092 Seville, Spain.
| | - Simon J Boulton
- Clare Hall Laboratories, Blanche Lane, South Mimms EN6 3LD, UK; DSB Repair Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London, UK.
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34
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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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35
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Kojima ML, de Rooij DG, Page DC. Amplification of a broad transcriptional program by a common factor triggers the meiotic cell cycle in mice. eLife 2019; 8:43738. [PMID: 30810530 PMCID: PMC6392498 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The germ line provides the cellular link between generations of multicellular organisms, its cells entering the meiotic cell cycle only once each generation. However, the mechanisms governing this initiation of meiosis remain poorly understood. Here, we examined cells undergoing meiotic initiation in mice, and we found that initiation involves the dramatic upregulation of a transcriptional network of thousands of genes whose expression is not limited to meiosis. This broad gene expression program is directly upregulated by STRA8, encoded by a germ cell-specific gene required for meiotic initiation. STRA8 binds its own promoter and those of thousands of other genes, including meiotic prophase genes, factors mediating DNA replication and the G1-S cell-cycle transition, and genes that promote the lengthy prophase unique to meiosis I. We conclude that, in mice, the robust amplification of this extraordinarily broad transcription program by a common factor triggers initiation of meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina L Kojima
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | | | - David C Page
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, United States
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36
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A Novel Role for α-Importins and Akirin in Establishment of Meiotic Sister Chromatid Cohesion in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2018; 211:617-635. [PMID: 30563860 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
During meiotic prophase I, sister chromatid cohesion is established in a way that supports the assembly of the synaptonemal complex (SC). The SC connects homologous chromosomes, directing meiotic recombination to create crossovers. In this paper, we identify two proteins that cooperate to import and load meiotic cohesins, thus indirectly promoting SC assembly. AKIR-1 is a protein with a previously identified meiotic role in SC disassembly. akir-1 mutants have no obvious defects in sister chromatid cohesion. We identified ima-2, a gene encoding for an α-importin nuclear transport protein, as a gene interacting with akir-1 Analysis of akir-1;ima-2 double mutants reveals a decrease in the number of germline nuclei and the formation of polycomplexes (PCs) (an SC protein aggregate). These PCs contain proteins that are part of the two main substructures of the SC: the central region and the lateral element. Unlike typical PCs, they also contain sister chromatid cohesion proteins. In akir-1;ima-2 double mutants, PCs are located in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. This suggests that the defects observed in the double mutants are both in nuclear import and in the assembly of sister chromatid cohesion. PC formation is also associated with recombination defects leading to reduced numbers of crossovers. Similarly to cohesion mutants, the pairing center protein HIM-8 is mislocalized in akir-1;ima-2 double mutants, forming multiple foci. We propose that AKIR-1 and IMA-2 operate in parallel pathways to import and load chromosomally associated cohesin complex proteins in meiotic nuclei, a novel finding for both of these conserved proteins.
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37
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Conservation of meiosis-specific nuclear proteins in eukaryotes: a comparative approach. THE NUCLEUS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s13237-018-0253-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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38
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Macaisne N, Kessler Z, Yanowitz JL. Meiotic Double-Strand Break Proteins Influence Repair Pathway Utilization. Genetics 2018; 210:843-856. [PMID: 30242011 PMCID: PMC6218235 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [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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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Macaisne
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Zebulin Kessler
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - Judith L Yanowitz
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213
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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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40
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Mohammad A, Vanden Broek K, Wang C, Daryabeigi A, Jantsch V, Hansen D, Schedl T. Initiation of Meiotic Development Is Controlled by Three Post-transcriptional Pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2018; 209:1197-1224. [PMID: 29941619 PMCID: PMC6063227 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.300985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A major event in germline development is the transition from stem/progenitor cells to entry into meiosis and gametogenesis. This transition requires downregulation of mitotic cell cycle activity and upregulation of processes associated with meiosis. We identify the Caenorhabditis elegans SCFPROM-1 E3 ubiquitin-ligase complex as functioning to downregulate mitotic cell cycle protein levels including cyclin E, WAPL-1, and KNL-2 at meiotic entry and, independently, promoting homologous chromosome pairing as a positive regulator of the CHK-2 kinase. SCFPROM-1 is thus a novel regulator of meiotic entry, coordinating downregulation of mitotic cell cycle proteins and promoting homolog pairing. We further show that SCFPROM-1 functions redundantly, in parallel to the previously described GLD-1 and GLD-2 meiotic entry pathways, downstream of and inhibited by GLP-1 Notch signaling, which specifies the stem cell fate. Accordingly, C. elegans employs three post-transcriptional pathways, SCFPROM-1-mediated protein degradation, GLD-1-mediated translational repression, and GLD-2-mediated translational activation, to control and coordinate the initiation of meiotic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariz Mohammad
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Kara Vanden Broek
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Christopher Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Anahita Daryabeigi
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, 1030, Austria
| | - Verena Jantsch
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, 1030, Austria
| | - Dave Hansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Tim Schedl
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri 63110
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41
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Gopal S, Pocock R. Computational Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline to Study the Distribution of Nuclei, Proteins, and the Cytoskeleton. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29733323 DOI: 10.3791/57702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) germline is used to study several biologically important processes including stem cell development, apoptosis, and chromosome dynamics. While the germline is an excellent model, the analysis is often two dimensional due to the time and labor required for three-dimensional analysis. Major readouts in such studies are the number/position of nuclei and protein distribution within the germline. Here, we present a method to perform automated analysis of the germline using confocal microscopy and computational approaches to determine the number and position of nuclei in each region of the germline. Our method also analyzes germline protein distribution that enables the three-dimensional examination of protein expression in different genetic backgrounds. Further, our study shows variations in cytoskeletal architecture in distinct regions of the germline that may accommodate specific spatial developmental requirements. Finally, our method enables automated counting of the sperm in the spermatheca of each germline. Taken together, our method enables rapid and reproducible phenotypic analysis of the C. elegans germline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Gopal
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University;
| | - Roger Pocock
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University;
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42
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Clarke EK, Rivera Gomez KA, Mustachi Z, Murph MC, Schvarzstein M. Manipulation of Ploidy in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29608173 PMCID: PMC5931776 DOI: 10.3791/57296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms that involve whole genome polyploidy play important roles in development and evolution; also, an abnormal generation of tetraploid cells has been associated with both the progression of cancer and the development of drug resistance. Until now, it has not been feasible to easily manipulate the ploidy of a multicellular animal without generating mostly sterile progeny. Presented here is a simple and rapid protocol for generating tetraploid Caenorhabditis elegans animals from any diploid strain. This method allows the user to create a bias in chromosome segregation during meiosis, ultimately increasing ploidy in C. elegans. This strategy relies on the transient reduction of expression of the rec-8 gene to generate diploid gametes. A rec-8 mutant produces diploid gametes that can potentially produce tetraploids upon fertilization. This tractable scheme has been used to generate tetraploid strains carrying mutations and chromosome rearrangements to gain insight into chromosomal dynamics and interactions during pairing and synapsis in meiosis. This method is efficient for generating stable tetraploid strains without genetic markers, can be applied to any diploid strain, and can be used to derive triploid C. elegans. This straightforward method is useful for investigating other fundamental biological questions relevant to genome instability, gene dosage, biological scaling, extracellular signaling, adaptation to stress, development of resistance to drugs, and mechanisms of speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erlyana K Clarke
- Brooklyn College, Biology Department, City University of New York
| | - Katherine A Rivera Gomez
- Brooklyn College, Biology Department, City University of New York; The Graduate Center, Biology Department, City University of New York
| | - Zaki Mustachi
- Brooklyn College, Biology Department, City University of New York
| | - Mikaela C Murph
- Brooklyn College, Biology Department, City University of New York; Advanced Science Research Center, City University of New York
| | - Mara Schvarzstein
- Brooklyn College, Biology Department, City University of New York; The Graduate Center, Biology Department, City University of New York; Advanced Science Research Center, City University of New York;
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43
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Ferrandiz N, Barroso C, Telecan O, Shao N, Kim HM, Testori S, Faull P, Cutillas P, Snijders AP, Colaiácovo MP, Martinez-Perez E. Spatiotemporal regulation of Aurora B recruitment ensures release of cohesion during C. elegans oocyte meiosis. Nat Commun 2018; 9:834. [PMID: 29483514 PMCID: PMC5827026 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03229-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of haploid gametes from diploid germ cells requires the regulated two-step release of sister chromatid cohesion (SCC) during the meiotic divisions. Here, we show that phosphorylation of cohesin subunit REC-8 by Aurora B promotes SCC release at anaphase I onset in C. elegans oocytes. Aurora B loading to chromatin displaying Haspin-mediated H3 T3 phosphorylation induces spatially restricted REC-8 phosphorylation, preventing full SCC release during anaphase I. H3 T3 phosphorylation is locally antagonized by protein phosphatase 1, which is recruited to chromosomes by HTP-1/2 and LAB-1. Mutating the N terminus of HTP-1 causes ectopic H3 T3 phosphorylation, triggering precocious SCC release without impairing earlier HTP-1 roles in homolog pairing and recombination. CDK-1 exerts temporal regulation of Aurora B recruitment, coupling REC-8 phosphorylation to oocyte maturation. Our findings elucidate a complex regulatory network that uses chromosome axis components, H3 T3 phosphorylation, and cell cycle regulators to ensure accurate chromosome segregation during oogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Ferrandiz
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Consuelo Barroso
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Oana Telecan
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Nan Shao
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Hyun-Min Kim
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- SPST, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Sarah Testori
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Peter Faull
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Pedro Cutillas
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Barts Cancer Institute, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Ambrosius P Snijders
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
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44
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Sato-Carlton A, Nakamura-Tabuchi C, Chartrand SK, Uchino T, Carlton PM. Phosphorylation of the synaptonemal complex protein SYP-1 promotes meiotic chromosome segregation. J Cell Biol 2017; 217:555-570. [PMID: 29222184 PMCID: PMC5800814 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201707161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromosomes that have undergone crossing over in meiotic prophase must maintain sister chromatid cohesion somewhere along their length between the first and second meiotic divisions. Although many eukaryotes use the centromere as a site to maintain cohesion, the holocentric organism Caenorhabditis elegans instead creates two chromosome domains of unequal length termed the short arm and long arm, which become the first and second site of cohesion loss at meiosis I and II. The mechanisms that confer distinct functions to the short and long arm domains remain poorly understood. Here, we show that phosphorylation of the synaptonemal complex protein SYP-1 is required to create these domains. Once crossover sites are designated, phosphorylated SYP-1 and PLK-2 become cooperatively confined to short arms and guide phosphorylated histone H3 and the chromosomal passenger complex to the site of meiosis I cohesion loss. Our results show that PLK-2 and phosphorylated SYP-1 ensure creation of the short arm subdomain, promoting disjunction of chromosomes in meiosis I.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tomoki Uchino
- Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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45
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Vargas E, McNally K, Friedman JA, Cortes DB, Wang DY, Korf IF, McNally FJ. Autosomal Trisomy and Triploidy Are Corrected During Female Meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2017; 207:911-922. [PMID: 28882988 PMCID: PMC5676225 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Trisomy and triploidy, defined as the presence of a third copy of one or all chromosomes, respectively, are deleterious in many species including humans. Previous studies have demonstrated that Caenorhabditis elegans with a third copy of the X chromosome are viable and fertile. However, the extra X chromosome was shown to preferentially segregate into the first polar body during oocyte meiosis to produce a higher frequency of euploid offspring than would be generated by random segregation. Here, we demonstrate that extra autosomes are preferentially eliminated by triploid C. elegans and trisomy IV C. elegans Live imaging of anaphase-lagging chromosomes and analysis of REC-8 staining of metaphase II spindles revealed that, in triploids, some univalent chromosomes do not lose cohesion and preferentially segregate intact into the first polar body during anaphase I, whereas other autosomes segregate chromatids equationally at anaphase I and eliminate some of the resulting single chromatids during anaphase II. We also demonstrate asymmetry in the anaphase spindle, which may contribute to the asymmetric segregation. This study reveals a pathway that allows aneuploid parents to produce euploid offspring at higher than random frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Vargas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Karen McNally
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Jacob A Friedman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Daniel B Cortes
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - David Y Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Ian F Korf
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Francis J McNally
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
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46
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Köhler S, Wojcik M, Xu K, Dernburg AF. Superresolution microscopy reveals the three-dimensional organization of meiotic chromosome axes in intact Caenorhabditis elegans tissue. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E4734-E4743. [PMID: 28559338 PMCID: PMC5474826 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1702312114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
When cells enter meiosis, their chromosomes reorganize as linear arrays of chromatin loops anchored to a central axis. Meiotic chromosome axes form a platform for the assembly of the synaptonemal complex (SC) and play central roles in other meiotic processes, including homologous pairing, recombination, and chromosome segregation. However, little is known about the 3D organization of components within the axes, which include cohesin complexes and additional meiosis-specific proteins. Here, we investigate the molecular organization of meiotic chromosome axes in Caenorhabditis elegans through STORM (stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy) and PALM (photo-activated localization microscopy) superresolution imaging of intact germ-line tissue. By tagging one axis protein (HIM-3) with a photoconvertible fluorescent protein, we established a spatial reference for other components, which were localized using antibodies against epitope tags inserted by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Using 3D averaging, we determined the position of all known components within synapsed chromosome axes to high spatial precision in three dimensions. We find that meiosis-specific HORMA domain proteins span a gap between cohesin complexes and the central region of the SC, consistent with their essential roles in SC assembly. Our data further suggest that the two different meiotic cohesin complexes are distinctly arranged within the axes: Although cohesin complexes containing the kleisin REC-8 protrude above and below the plane defined by the SC, complexes containing COH-3 or -4 kleisins form a central core, which may physically separate sister chromatids. This organization may help to explain the role of the chromosome axes in promoting interhomolog repair of meiotic double-strand breaks by inhibiting intersister repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Köhler
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3220
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
| | - Michal Wojcik
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3220
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3220;
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Division of Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Abby F Dernburg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3220;
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Division of Biological Systems and Engineering, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
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47
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Jonak K, Zagoriy I, Oz T, Graf P, Rojas J, Mengoli V, Zachariae W. APC/C-Cdc20 mediates deprotection of centromeric cohesin at meiosis II in yeast. Cell Cycle 2017; 16:1145-1152. [PMID: 28514186 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2017.1320628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells undergoing meiosis produce haploid gametes through one round of DNA replication followed by 2 rounds of chromosome segregation. This requires that cohesin complexes, which establish sister chromatid cohesion during S phase, are removed in a stepwise manner. At meiosis I, the separase protease triggers the segregation of homologous chromosomes by cleaving cohesin's Rec8 subunit on chromosome arms. Cohesin persists at centromeres because the PP2A phosphatase, recruited by the shugoshin protein, dephosphorylates Rec8 and thereby protects it from cleavage. While chromatids disjoin upon cleavage of centromeric Rec8 at meiosis II, it was unclear how and when centromeric Rec8 is liberated from its protector PP2A. One proposal is that bipolar spindle forces separate PP2A from Rec8 as cells enter metaphase II. We show here that sister centromere biorientation is not sufficient to "deprotect" Rec8 at meiosis II in yeast. Instead, our data suggest that the ubiquitin-ligase APC/CCdc20 removes PP2A from centromeres by targeting for degradation the shugoshin Sgo1 and the kinase Mps1. This implies that Rec8 remains protected until entry into anaphase II when it is phosphorylated concurrently with the activation of separase. Here, we provide further support for this model and speculate on its relevance to mammalian oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Jonak
- a Laboratory of Chromosome Biology , Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry , Martinsried , Germany
| | - Ievgeniia Zagoriy
- a Laboratory of Chromosome Biology , Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry , Martinsried , Germany
| | - Tugce Oz
- a Laboratory of Chromosome Biology , Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry , Martinsried , Germany
| | - Peter Graf
- a Laboratory of Chromosome Biology , Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry , Martinsried , Germany
| | - Julie Rojas
- a Laboratory of Chromosome Biology , Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry , Martinsried , Germany
| | - Valentina Mengoli
- a Laboratory of Chromosome Biology , Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry , Martinsried , Germany
| | - Wolfgang Zachariae
- a Laboratory of Chromosome Biology , Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry , Martinsried , Germany
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48
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Abstract
Sexual reproduction requires the production of haploid gametes (sperm and egg) with only one copy of each chromosome; fertilization then restores the diploid chromosome content in the next generation. This reduction in genetic content is accomplished during a specialized cell division called meiosis, in which two rounds of chromosome segregation follow a single round of DNA replication. In preparation for the first meiotic division, homologous chromosomes pair and synapse, creating a context that promotes formation of crossover recombination events. These crossovers, in conjunction with sister chromatid cohesion, serve to connect the two homologs and facilitate their segregation to opposite poles during the first meiotic division. During the second meiotic division, which is similar to mitosis, sister chromatids separate; the resultant products are haploid cells that become gametes. In Caenorhabditis elegans (and most other eukaryotes) homologous pairing and recombination are required for proper chromosome inheritance during meiosis; accordingly, the events of meiosis are tightly coordinated to ensure the proper execution of these events. In this chapter, we review the seminal events of meiosis: pairing of homologous chromosomes, the changes in chromosome structure that chromosomes undergo during meiosis, the events of meiotic recombination, the differentiation of homologous chromosome pairs into structures optimized for proper chromosome segregation at Meiosis I, and the ultimate segregation of chromosomes during the meiotic divisions. We also review the regulatory processes that ensure the coordinated execution of these meiotic events during prophase I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth J Hillers
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, United States
| | - Verena Jantsch
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter,1030 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Judith L Yanowitz
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
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49
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Grishaeva TM, Bogdanov YF. Evolutionary conservation of recombination proteins and variability of meiosis-specific proteins of chromosomes. RUSS J GENET+ 2017. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795417040081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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50
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Kumar R. Separase: Function Beyond Cohesion Cleavage and an Emerging Oncogene. J Cell Biochem 2017; 118:1283-1299. [PMID: 27966791 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Proper and timely segregation of genetic endowment is necessary for survival and perpetuation of every species. Mis-segregation of chromosomes and resulting aneuploidy leads to genetic instability, which can jeopardize the survival of an individual or population as a whole. Abnormality with segregation of genetic contents has been associated with several medical consequences including cancer, sterility, mental retardation, spontaneous abortion, miscarriages, and other birth related defects. Separase, by irreversible cleavage of cohesin complex subunit, paves the way for metaphase/anaphase transition during the cell cycle. Both over or reduced expression and altered level of separase have been associated with several medical consequences including cancer, as a result separase now emerges as an important oncogene and potential molecular target for medical intervenes. Recently, separase is also found to be essential in separation and duplication of centrioles. Here, I review the role of separase in mitosis, meiosis, non-canonical roles of separase, separase regulation, as a regulator of centriole disengagement, nonproteolytic roles, diverse substrates, structural insights, and association of separase with cancer. At the ends, I proposed a model which showed that separase is active throughout the cell cycle and there is a mere increase in separase activity during metaphase contrary to the common believes that separase is inactive throughout cell cycle except for metaphase. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1283-1299, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinder Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400 076, Maharashtra, India
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