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Kursel LE, Rog O. Make it or break it: Protein homeostasis in the synaptonemal complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2416357121. [PMID: 39348546 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2416357121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/02/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E Kursel
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
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2
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Zhang R, Liu B, Tian Y, Xin M, Li Q, Huang X, Liu Y, Zhao L, Qi F, Wang R, Meng X, Chen J, Zhou J, Gao J. A chromosome-coupled ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is required for meiotic surveillance. Cell Death Differ 2024:10.1038/s41418-024-01375-6. [PMID: 39237708 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-024-01375-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 08/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Defects in meiotic prophase can cause meiotic chromosome missegregation and aneuploid gamete formation. Meiotic checkpoints are activated in germ cells with meiotic defects, and cells with unfixed errors are eliminated by apoptosis. How such a surveillance process is regulated remains elusive. Here, we report that a chromosome-coupled ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) regulates meiotic checkpoint activation and promotes germ cell apoptosis in C. elegans meiosis-defective mutants. We identified an F-box protein, FBXL-2, that functions as a core component within the pathway. This chromosome-coupled UPP regulates meiotic DSB repair kinetics and chromosome dynamic behaviors in synapsis defective mutants. Disrupted UPP impairs the axial recruitment of the HORMA domain protein HIM-3, which is required for efficient germ cell apoptosis in synapsis defective mutants. Our data suggest that an efficient chromosome-coupled UPP functions as a part of the meiotic surveillance system by enhancing the integrity of the meiotic chromosome axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruirui Zhang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Bohan Liu
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Yuqi Tian
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Mingyu Xin
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Qian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Science, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xiuhua Huang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Feifei Qi
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Ruoxi Wang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Xiaoqian Meng
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
| | - Jianguo Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Science, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jinmin Gao
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250358, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Protein Science, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
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3
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Lake CM, Gardner J, Briggs S, Yu Z, McKown G, Hawley RS. The deubiquitinase Usp7 in Drosophila melanogaster is required for synaptonemal complex maintenance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2409346121. [PMID: 39190345 PMCID: PMC11388383 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2409346121] [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: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is a form of cell division that is essential to sexually reproducing organisms and is therefore highly regulated. Each event of meiosis must occur at the correct developmental stage to ensure that chromosomes are segregated properly during both meiotic divisions. One unique meiosis-specific structure that is tightly regulated in terms of timing of assembly and disassembly is the synaptonemal complex (SC). While the mechanism(s) for assembly and disassembly of the SC are poorly understood in Drosophila melanogaster, posttranslational modifications, including ubiquitination and phosphorylation, are known to play a role. Here, we identify a role for the deubiquitinase Usp7 in the maintenance of the SC in early prophase and show that its function in SC maintenance is independent of the meiotic recombination process. Using two usp7 shRNA constructs that result in different knockdown levels, we have shown that the presence of SC through early/mid-pachytene is critical for normal levels and placement of crossovers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Salam Briggs
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO64110
| | - Zulin Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO64110
| | - Grace McKown
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO64110
| | - R. Scott Hawley
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO64110
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of KansasMedical Center, Kansas City, KS66160
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4
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Fellmeth JE, Jang JK, Persaud M, Sturm H, Changela N, Parikh A, McKim KS. A dynamic population of prophase CENP-C is required for meiotic chromosome segregation. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011066. [PMID: 38019881 PMCID: PMC10721191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The centromere is an epigenetic mark that is a loading site for the kinetochore during meiosis and mitosis. This mark is characterized by the H3 variant CENP-A, known as CID in Drosophila. In Drosophila, CENP-C is critical for maintaining CID at the centromeres and directly recruits outer kinetochore proteins after nuclear envelope break down. These two functions, however, happen at different times in the cell cycle. Furthermore, in Drosophila and many other metazoan oocytes, centromere maintenance and kinetochore assembly are separated by an extended prophase. We have investigated the dynamics of function of CENP-C during the extended meiotic prophase of Drosophila oocytes and found that maintaining high levels of CENP-C for metaphase I requires expression during prophase. In contrast, CID is relatively stable and does not need to be expressed during prophase to remain at high levels in metaphase I of meiosis. Expression of CID during prophase can even be deleterious, causing ectopic localization to non-centromeric chromatin, abnormal meiosis and sterility. CENP-C prophase loading is required for multiple meiotic functions. In early meiotic prophase, CENP-C loading is required for sister centromere cohesion and centromere clustering. In late meiotic prophase, CENP-C loading is required to recruit kinetochore proteins. CENP-C is one of the few proteins identified in which expression during prophase is required for meiotic chromosome segregation. An implication of these results is that the failure to maintain recruitment of CENP-C during the extended prophase in oocytes would result in chromosome segregation errors in oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E. Fellmeth
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Janet K. Jang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Manisha Persaud
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Hannah Sturm
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Neha Changela
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Aashka Parikh
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Kim S. McKim
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
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5
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Fellmeth JE, Jang J, Persaud M, Sturm H, Changela N, Parikh A, McKim KS. A Dynamic population of prophase CENP-C is required for meiotic chromosome segregation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.13.532437. [PMID: 36993339 PMCID: PMC10054979 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.13.532437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The centromere is an epigenetic mark that is a loading site for the kinetochore during meiosis and mitosis. This mark is characterized by the H3 variant CENP-A, known as CID in Drosophila. In Drosophila, CENP-C is critical for maintaining CID at the centromeres and directly recruits outer kinetochore proteins after nuclear envelope break down. It is not known, however, if these two functions require the same CENP-C molecules. Furthermore, in Drosophila and many other metazoan oocytes, centromere maintenance and kinetochore assembly are separated by an extended prophase. Consistent with studies in mammals, CID is relatively stable and does not need to be expressed during prophase to remain at high levels in metaphase I of meiosis. Expression of CID during prophase can even be deleterious, causing ectopic localization to non-centromeric chromatin, abnormal meiosis and sterility. In contrast to CID, maintaining high levels of CENP-C requires expression during prophase. Confirming the importance of this loading, we found CENP-C prophase loading is required for multiple meiotic functions. In early meiotic prophase, CENP-C loading is required for sister centromere cohesion and centromere clustering. In late meiotic prophase, CENP-C loading is required to recruit kinetochore proteins. CENP-C is one of the few proteins identified in which expression during prophase is required for meiotic chromosome segregation. An implication of these results is that the failure to maintain recruitment of CENP-C during the extended prophase in oocytes would result in chromosome segregation errors in oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Fellmeth
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Janet Jang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Manisha Persaud
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Hannah Sturm
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Neha Changela
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Aashka Parikh
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Kim S McKim
- Waksman Institute and Department of Genetics, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
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Feijão T, Marques B, Silva RD, Carvalho C, Sobral D, Matos R, Tan T, Pereira A, Morais-de-Sá E, Maiato H, DeLuca SZ, Martinho RG. Polycomb group (PcG) proteins prevent the assembly of abnormal synaptonemal complex structures during meiosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204701119. [PMID: 36215502 PMCID: PMC9586294 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204701119] [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: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a proteinaceous scaffold that is assembled between paired homologous chromosomes during the onset of meiosis. Timely expression of SC coding genes is essential for SC assembly and successful meiosis. However, SC components have an intrinsic tendency to self-organize into abnormal repetitive structures, which are not assembled between the paired homologs and whose formation is potentially deleterious for meiosis and gametogenesis. This creates an interesting conundrum, where SC genes need to be robustly expressed during meiosis, but their expression must be carefully regulated to prevent the formation of anomalous SC structures. In this manuscript, we show that the Polycomb group protein Sfmbt, the Drosophila ortholog of human MBTD1 and L3MBTL2, is required to avoid excessive expression of SC genes during prophase I. Although SC assembly is normal after Sfmbt depletion, SC disassembly is abnormal with the formation of multiple synaptonemal complexes (polycomplexes) within the oocyte. Overexpression of the SC gene corona and depletion of other Polycomb group proteins are similarly associated with polycomplex formation during SC disassembly. These polycomplexes are highly dynamic and have a well-defined periodic structure. Further confirming the importance of Sfmbt, germ line depletion of this protein is associated with significant metaphase I defects and a reduction in female fertility. Since transcription of SC genes mostly occurs during early prophase I, our results suggest a role of Sfmbt and other Polycomb group proteins in downregulating the expression of these and other early prophase I genes during later stages of meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tália Feijão
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4200-135 Portugal
- Department of Medical Sciences and Institute for Biomedicine, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Bruno Marques
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Rui D. Silva
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Célia Carvalho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Daniel Sobral
- Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, 2819-516 Caparica, Portugal
- Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit (UCIBIO), Department of Life Sciences, School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, 2819-516 Portugal
| | - Ricardo Matos
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Tian Tan
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453
| | - António Pereira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4200-135 Portugal
| | - Eurico Morais-de-Sá
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4200-135 Portugal
| | - Hélder Maiato
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, 4200-135 Portugal
| | | | - Rui Gonçalo Martinho
- Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- Department of Medical Sciences and Institute for Biomedicine, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
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Wang Y, Gao W, Wang L, Wang R, Yang Z, Luo F, He Y, Wang Z, Wang F, Sun Q, Li J, Zhang D. FBXW24 controls female meiotic prophase progression by regulating SYCP3 ubiquitination. Clin Transl Med 2022; 12:e891. [PMID: 35858239 PMCID: PMC9299759 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An impeccable female meiotic prophase is critical for producing a high-quality oocyte and, ultimately, a healthy newborn. SYCP3 is a key component of the synaptonemal complex regulating meiotic homologous recombination. However, what regulates SYCP3 stability is unknown. METHODS Fertility assays, follicle counting, meiotic prophase stage (leptotene, zygotene, pachytene and diplotene) analysis and live imaging were employed to examine how FBXW24 knockout (KO) affect female fertility, follicle reserve, oocyte quality, meiotic prophase progression of female germ cells, and meiosis of oocytes. Western blot and immunostaining were used to examined the levels & signals (intensity, foci) of SYCP3 and multiple key DSB indicators & repair proteins (γH2AX, RPA2, p-CHK2, RAD51, MLH1, HORMAD1, TRIP13) after FBXW24 KO. Co-IP and immuno-EM were used to examined the interaction between FBXW24 and SYCP3; Mass spec was used to characterize the ubiquitination sites in SYCP3; In vivo & in vitro ubiquitination assays were utilized to determine the key sites in SYCP3 & FBXW24 for ubiquitination. RESULTS Fbxw24-knockout (KO) female mice were infertile due to massive oocyte death upon meiosis entry. Fbxw24-KO oocytes were defective due to elevated DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and inseparable homologous chromosomes. Fbxw24-KO germ cells showed increased SYCP3 levels, delayed prophase progression, increased DSBs, and decreased crossover foci. Next, we found that FBXW24 directly binds and ubiquitinates SYCP3 to regulate its stability. In addition, several key residues important for SYCP3 ubiquitination and FBXW24 ubiquitinating activity were characterized. CONCLUSIONS We proposed that FBXW24 regulates the timely degradation of SYCP3 to ensure normal crossover and DSB repair during pachytene. FBXW24-KO delayed SYCP3 degradation and DSB repair from pachytene until metaphase II (MII), ultimately causing failure in oocyte maturation, oocyte death, and infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- State Key Lab of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Wen‐Yi Gao
- State Key Lab of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Li‐Li Wang
- State Key Lab of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Ruo‐Lei Wang
- State Key Lab of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Zhi‐Xia Yang
- State Key Lab of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Fu‐Qiang Luo
- State Key Lab of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yu‐Hao He
- State Key Lab of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Zi‐Bin Wang
- Analysis and Test CenterNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Fu‐Qiang Wang
- Fertility Preservation Lab and Guangdong‐Hong Kong Metabolism & Reproduction Joint LaboratoryReproductive Medicine CenterGuangdong Second Provincial General HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Qing‐Yuan Sun
- Fertility Preservation Lab and Guangdong‐Hong Kong Metabolism & Reproduction Joint LaboratoryReproductive Medicine CenterGuangdong Second Provincial General HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Lab of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Dong Zhang
- State Key Lab of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
- Animal Core FacilityNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingP. R. China
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Ren L, Zhao T, Zhao Y, Du G, Yang S, Mu N, Tang D, Shen Y, Li Y, Cheng Z. The E3 ubiquitin ligase DESYNAPSIS1 regulates synapsis and recombination in rice meiosis. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109941. [PMID: 34731625 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109941] [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: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptonemal complex (SC) assembly and homologous recombination, the most critical events during prophase I, are the prerequisite for faithful meiotic chromosome segregation. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we reveal that a functional RING finger E3 ubiquitin ligase, DESYNAPSIS1 (DSNP1), plays significant roles in SC assembly and homologous recombination during rice meiosis. In the dsnp1 mutant, homologous synapsis is discontinuous and aberrant SC-like polycomplexes occur independent of coaligned homologous chromosomes. Accompanying the decreased foci of HEI10, ZIP4, and MER3 on meiotic chromosomes, the number of crossovers (COs) decreases dramatically in dsnp1 meiocytes. Furthermore, the absence of central elements largely restores the localization of non-ZEP1 ZMM proteins and the number of COs in the dsnp1 background. Collectively, DSNP1 stabilizes the canonical tripartite SC structure along paired homologous chromosomes and further promotes the formation of COs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Ren
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China; Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Tingting Zhao
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Yangzi Zhao
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Guijie Du
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Shuying Yang
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Na Mu
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Ding Tang
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Yi Shen
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Yafei Li
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Zhukuan Cheng
- State Key Lab of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
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9
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Zhang FG, Zhang RR, Gao JM. The organization, regulation, and biological functions of the synaptonemal complex. Asian J Androl 2021; 23:580-589. [PMID: 34528517 PMCID: PMC8577265 DOI: 10.4103/aja202153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a meiosis-specific proteinaceous macromolecular structure that assembles between paired homologous chromosomes during meiosis in various eukaryotes. The SC has a highly conserved ultrastructure and plays critical roles in controlling multiple steps in meiotic recombination and crossover formation, ensuring accurate meiotic chromosome segregation. Recent studies in different organisms, facilitated by advances in super-resolution microscopy, have provided insights into the macromolecular structure of the SC, including the internal organization of the meiotic chromosome axis and SC central region, the regulatory pathways that control SC assembly and dynamics, and the biological functions exerted by the SC and its substructures. This review summarizes recent discoveries about how the SC is organized and regulated that help to explain the biological functions associated with this meiosis-specific structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Guo Zhang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Rui-Rui Zhang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jin-Min Gao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
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10
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Orr JN, Waugh R, Colas I. Ubiquitination in Plant Meiosis: Recent Advances and High Throughput Methods. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:667314. [PMID: 33897750 PMCID: PMC8058418 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.667314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Meiosis is a specialized cell division which is essential to sexual reproduction. The success of this highly ordered process involves the timely activation, interaction, movement, and removal of many proteins. Ubiquitination is an extraordinarily diverse post-translational modification with a regulatory role in almost all cellular processes. During meiosis, ubiquitin localizes to chromatin and the expression of genes related to ubiquitination appears to be enhanced. This may be due to extensive protein turnover mediated by proteasomal degradation. However, degradation is not the only substrate fate conferred by ubiquitination which may also mediate, for example, the activation of key transcription factors. In plant meiosis, the specific roles of several components of the ubiquitination cascade-particularly SCF complex proteins, the APC/C, and HEI10-have been partially characterized indicating diverse roles in chromosome segregation, recombination, and synapsis. Nonetheless, these components remain comparatively poorly understood to their counterparts in other processes and in other eukaryotes. In this review, we present an overview of our understanding of the role of ubiquitination in plant meiosis, highlighting recent advances, remaining challenges, and high throughput methods which may be used to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie N. Orr
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Robbie Waugh
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
- School of Agriculture and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Isabelle Colas
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
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11
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Gordon SG, Kursel LE, Xu K, Rog O. Synaptonemal Complex dimerization regulates chromosome alignment and crossover patterning in meiosis. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009205. [PMID: 33730019 PMCID: PMC7968687 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
During sexual reproduction the parental homologous chromosomes find each other (pair) and align along their lengths by integrating local sequence homology with large-scale contiguity, thereby allowing for precise exchange of genetic information. The Synaptonemal Complex (SC) is a conserved zipper-like structure that assembles between the homologous chromosomes, bringing them together and regulating exchanges between them. However, the molecular mechanisms by which the SC carries out these functions remain poorly understood. Here we isolated and characterized two mutations in the dimerization interface in the middle of the SC zipper in C. elegans. The mutations perturb both chromosome alignment and the regulation of genetic exchanges. Underlying the chromosome-scale phenotypes are distinct alterations to the way SC subunits interact with one another. We propose a model whereby the SC brings homologous chromosomes together through two activities: obligate zipping that prevents assembly on unpaired chromosomes; and a tendency to extend pairing interactions along the entire length of the chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer G. Gordon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Lisa E. Kursel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Kewei Xu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
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12
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Barakate A, Orr J, Schreiber M, Colas I, Lewandowska D, McCallum N, Macaulay M, Morris J, Arrieta M, Hedley PE, Ramsay L, Waugh R. Barley Anther and Meiocyte Transcriptome Dynamics in Meiotic Prophase I. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:619404. [PMID: 33510760 PMCID: PMC7835676 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.619404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
In flowering plants, successful germinal cell development and meiotic recombination depend upon a combination of environmental and genetic factors. To gain insights into this specialized reproductive development program we used short- and long-read RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to study the temporal dynamics of transcript abundance in immuno-cytologically staged barley (Hordeum vulgare) anthers and meiocytes. We show that the most significant transcriptional changes in anthers occur at the transition from pre-meiosis to leptotene-zygotene, which is followed by increasingly stable transcript abundance throughout prophase I into metaphase I-tetrad. Our analysis reveals that the pre-meiotic anthers are enriched in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and that entry to meiosis is characterized by their robust and significant down regulation. Intriguingly, only 24% of a collection of putative meiotic gene orthologs showed differential transcript abundance in at least one stage or tissue comparison. Argonautes, E3 ubiquitin ligases, and lys48 specific de-ubiquitinating enzymes were enriched in prophase I meiocyte samples. These developmental, time-resolved transcriptomes demonstrate remarkable stability in transcript abundance in meiocytes throughout prophase I after the initial and substantial reprogramming at meiosis entry and the complexity of the regulatory networks involved in early meiotic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdellah Barakate
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Jamie Orr
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Miriam Schreiber
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Isabelle Colas
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nicola McCallum
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm Macaulay
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Jenny Morris
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Mikel Arrieta
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Pete E. Hedley
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Luke Ramsay
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Robbie Waugh
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
- School of Agriculture and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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13
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Wesley ER, Hawley RS, Billmyre KK. Genetic background impacts the timing of synaptonemal complex breakdown in Drosophila melanogaster. Chromosoma 2020; 129:243-254. [PMID: 33068154 PMCID: PMC7666587 DOI: 10.1007/s00412-020-00742-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Experiments performed in different genetic backgrounds occasionally exhibit failure in experimental reproducibility. This is a serious issue in Drosophila where there are no standard control stocks. Here, we illustrate the importance of controlling genetic background by showing that the timing of a major meiotic event, the breakdown of the synaptonemal complex (SC), varies in different genetic backgrounds. We assessed SC breakdown in three different control stocks and found that in one control stock, y w; svspa-pol, the SC broke down earlier than in Oregon-R and w1118 stocks. We further examined SC breakdown in these three control backgrounds with flies heterozygous for a null mutation in c(3)G, which encodes a key structural component of the SC. Flies heterozygous for c(3)G displayed differences in the timing of SC breakdown in different control backgrounds, providing evidence of a sensitizing effect of this mutation. These observations suggest that SC maintenance is associated with the dosage of c(3)G in some backgrounds. Lastly, chromosome segregation was not affected by premature SC breakdown in mid-prophase, consistent with previous findings that chromosome segregation is not dependent on full-length SC in mid-prophase. Thus, genetic background is an important variable to consider with respect to SC behavior during Drosophila meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Wesley
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
- University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA
| | - R Scott Hawley
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, 64110, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA.
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14
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Alternative Synaptonemal Complex Structures: Too Much of a Good Thing? Trends Genet 2020; 36:833-844. [PMID: 32800626 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC), a highly conserved structure built between homologous meiotic chromosomes, is required for crossover formation and ensuring proper chromosome segregation. In many organisms, SC components can also form alternative structures, including repeating SC structures that are known as polycomplexes (PCs), and extensively modified SC structures that are maintained late in meiosis. PCs display differences in their ability to localize with lateral element proteins, recombination machinery, and DNA. They can be created by defects in post-translational modification, suggesting that these modifications have roles in preventing alternate SC structures. These SC-like structures provide insight into the rules for building and maintaining the SC by offering an 'in vivo laboratory' for models of SC assembly, structure, and disassembly. Here, we discuss what these structures can tell us about the rules for building the SC and the roles of the SC in meiotic processes.
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15
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Hinnant TD, Merkle JA, Ables ET. Coordinating Proliferation, Polarity, and Cell Fate in the Drosophila Female Germline. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:19. [PMID: 32117961 PMCID: PMC7010594 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Gametes are highly specialized cell types produced by a complex differentiation process. Production of viable oocytes requires a series of precise and coordinated molecular events. Early in their development, germ cells are an interconnected group of mitotically dividing cells. Key regulatory events lead to the specification of mature oocytes and initiate a switch to the meiotic cell cycle program. Though the chromosomal events of meiosis have been extensively studied, it is unclear how other aspects of oocyte specification are temporally coordinated. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has long been at the forefront as a model system for genetics and cell biology research. The adult Drosophila ovary continuously produces germ cells throughout the organism’s lifetime, and many of the cellular processes that occur to establish oocyte fate are conserved with mammalian gamete development. Here, we review recent discoveries from Drosophila that advance our understanding of how early germ cells balance mitotic exit with meiotic initiation. We discuss cell cycle control and establishment of cell polarity as major themes in oocyte specification. We also highlight a germline-specific organelle, the fusome, as integral to the coordination of cell division, cell polarity, and cell fate in ovarian germ cells. Finally, we discuss how the molecular controls of the cell cycle might be integrated with cell polarity and cell fate to maintain oocyte production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor D Hinnant
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Julie A Merkle
- Department of Biology, University of Evansville, Evansville, IN, United States
| | - Elizabeth T Ables
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
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