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Hughes SE, Price A, Briggs S, Staber C, James M, Anderson M, Hawley RS. A transcriptomics-based RNAi screen for regulators of meiosis and early stages of oocyte development in Drosophila melanogaster. G3 (Bethesda) 2024; 14:jkae028. [PMID: 38333961 PMCID: PMC10989863 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
A properly regulated series of developmental and meiotic events must occur to ensure the successful production of gametes. In Drosophila melanogaster ovaries, these early developmental and meiotic events include the production of the 16-cell cyst, meiotic entry, synaptonemal complex (SC) formation, recombination, and oocyte specification. In order to identify additional genes involved in early oocyte development and meiosis, we reanalyzed 3 published single-cell RNA-seq datasets from Drosophila ovaries, using vasa (germline) together with c(3)G, cona, and corolla (SC) as markers. Our analysis generated a list of 2,743 co-expressed genes. Many known SC-related and early oocyte development genes fell within the top 500 genes on this list, as ranked by the abundance and specificity of each gene's expression across individual analyses. We tested 526 available RNAi lines containing shRNA constructs in germline-compatible vectors representing 331 of the top 500 genes. We assessed targeted ovaries for SC formation and maintenance, oocyte specification, cyst development, and double-strand break dynamics. Six uncharacterized genes exhibited early developmental defects. SC and developmental defects were observed for additional genes not well characterized in the early ovary. Interestingly, in some lines with developmental delays, meiotic events could still be completed once oocyte specificity occurred indicating plasticity in meiotic timing. These data indicate that a transcriptomics approach can be used to identify genes involved in functions in a specific cell type in the Drosophila ovary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacie E Hughes
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Andrew Price
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Salam Briggs
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Cynthia Staber
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Morgan James
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Madelyn Anderson
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 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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2
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Cossu IG, Leu NA, Guan Y, Wang PJ. The N-terminal modification of HORMAD2 causes its ectopic persistence on synapsed chromosomes without meiotic blockade. Reproduction 2024; 167:e230330. [PMID: 38401263 PMCID: PMC10993814 DOI: 10.1530/rep-23-0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
In brief The dissociation of HORMA domain protein 2 (HORMAD2) from the synaptonemal complex is tightly regulated. This study reveals that the N-terminal region of HORMAD2 is critical for its dissociation from synapsed meiotic chromosomes. Abstract During meiosis, homologous chromosomes undergo synapsis and recombination. HORMA domain proteins regulate key processes in meiosis. Mammalian HORMAD1 and HORMAD2 localize to unsynapsed chromosome axes but are removed upon synapsis by the TRIP13 AAA+ ATPase. TRIP13 engages the N-terminal region of HORMA domain proteins to induce an open conformation, resulting in the disassembly of protein complexes. Here, we report introduction of a 3×FLAG-HA tag to the N-terminus of HORMAD2 in mice. Coimmunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry identified HORMAD1 and SYCP2 as HORMAD2-associated proteins in the testis. Unexpectedly, the N-terminal tagging of HORMAD2 resulted in its abnormal persistence along synapsed regions in pachynema and ectopic localization to telomeres in diplonema. Super-resolution microscopy revealed that 3×FLAG-HA-HORMAD2 was distributed along the central region of the synaptonemal complex, whereas wild-type HORMAD1 persisted along the lateral elements in 3×FLAG-HA-HORMAD2 meiocytes. Although homozygous mice completed meiosis and were fertile, homozygous males exhibited a significant reduction in sperm count. Collectively, these results suggest that the N-terminus of HORMAD2 is important for its timely removal from meiotic chromosome axes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella G. Cossu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - N. Adrian Leu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yongjuan Guan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - P. Jeremy Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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3
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Xiang Y, Tsuchiya D, Yu Z, Zhao X, McKinney S, Unruh J, Slaughter B, Lake CM, Hawley RS. Multiple reorganizations of the lateral elements of the synaptonemal complex facilitate homolog segregation in Bombyx mori oocytes. Curr Biol 2024; 34:352-360.e4. [PMID: 38176417 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Although Lepidopteran females build a synaptonemal complex (SC) in pachytene, homologs do not crossover, necessitating an alternative method of homolog conjunction. In Bombyx mori oocytes, the SC breaks down at the end of pachytene, and homolog associations are maintained by a large oocyte-specific structure, which we call the bivalent bridge (BB), connecting paired homologs. The BB is derived from at least some components of the SC lateral elements (LEs). It contains the HORMAD protein HOP1 and the LE protein SYCP2 and is formed by the fusion of the two LE derivatives. As diplotene progresses, the BB increases in width and acquires a layered structure with a thick band of HOP1 separating two layers of SYCP2. The HOP1 interacting protein, PCH2, joins the BB in mid-diplotene, and by late-diplotene, it lies in the middle of the HOP1 filament. This structure is maintained through metaphase I. SYCP2 and PCH2 are lost at anaphase I, and the BB no longer connects the separating homologs. However, a key component of the BB, HOP1, remains at the metaphase I plate. These changes in organization of the BB occur simultaneously with the movement of the kinetochore protein, DSN1, from within the BB at mid-diplotene to the edge of the homologs facing the poles by metaphase I. We view these data in context of models in which SC components and regulators can be repurposed to achieve different functions, a fascinating example of evolution achieving homolog conjunction in an alternative way with recycling of SC proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youbin Xiang
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Dai Tsuchiya
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Zulin Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Xia Zhao
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Sean McKinney
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Jay Unruh
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Brian Slaughter
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Cathleen M Lake
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - R Scott Hawley
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 66160, USA.
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Matveevsky SN, Kolomiets OL, Shchipanov NA, Pavlova SV. Natural male hybrid common shrews with a very long chromosomal multivalent at meiosis appear not to be completely sterile. J Exp Zool B Mol Dev Evol 2024; 342:45-58. [PMID: 38059675 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Among 36 known chromosomal hybrid zones of the common shrew Sorex araneus, the Moscow-Seliger hybrid zone is of special interest because inter-racial complex heterozygotes (F1 hybrids) produce the longest meiotic configuration, consisting of 11 chromosomes with monobrachial homology (undecavalent or chain-of-eleven: CXI). Different studies suggest that such a multivalent may negatively affect meiotic progression and in general should significantly reduce fertility of hybrids. In this work, by immunocytochemical and electron microscopy methods, we investigated for the first time chromosome synapsis, recombination and meiotic silencing in pachytene spermatocytes of natural inter-racial heterozygous shrew males carrying CXI configurations. Despite some abnormalities detected in spermatocytes, such as associations of chromosomes, stretched centromeres, and the absence of recombination nodules in some arms of the multivalent, a large number of morphologically normal spermatozoa were observed. Possible low stringency of pachytene checkpoints may mean that even very long meiotic configurations do not cause complete sterility of such complex inter-racial heterozygotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey N Matveevsky
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Oxana L Kolomiets
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolay A Shchipanov
- Laboratory of Population Ecology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Svetlana V Pavlova
- Laboratory of Population Ecology, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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Kursel LE, Martinez JEA, Rog O. A suppressor screen in C. elegans identifies a multiprotein interaction that stabilizes the synaptonemal complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2314335120. [PMID: 38055743 PMCID: PMC10723054 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314335120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Successful chromosome segregation into gametes depends on tightly regulated interactions between the parental chromosomes. During meiosis, chromosomes are aligned end-to-end by an interface called the synaptonemal complex, which also regulates exchanges between them. However, despite the functional and ultrastructural conservation of this essential interface, how protein-protein interactions within the synaptonemal complex regulate chromosomal interactions remains poorly understood. Here, we describe a genetic interaction in the C. elegans synaptonemal complex, comprised of short segments of three proteins, SYP-1, SYP-3, and SYP-4. We identified the interaction through a saturated suppressor screen of a mutant that destabilizes the synaptonemal complex. The specificity and tight distribution of suppressors suggest a charge-based interface that promotes interactions between synaptonemal complex subunits and, in turn, allows intimate interactions between chromosomes. Our work highlights the power of genetic studies to illuminate the mechanisms that underlie meiotic chromosome interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E. Kursel
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
| | - Jesus E. Aguayo Martinez
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT84112
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6
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Xu J, Sun Y, Zhang Y, Ou N, Bai H, Zhao J, Xu S, Luo J, Han S, Li P, Tian R, Zhi E, Huang Y, Zhang J, Liu G, Li Z, Yao C. A homozygous frameshift variant in SYCP2 caused meiotic arrest and non-obstructive azoospermia. Clin Genet 2023; 104:577-581. [PMID: 37337432 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Genetic causation for the majority of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) remains unclear. Mutations in synaptonemal complex (SC)-associated genes could cause meiotic arrest and NOA. Previous studies showed that heterozygous truncating variants in SYCP2 encoding a protein essential for SC formation, are associated with non-obstructive azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia. Herein, we showed a homozygous loss-of-function variant in SYCP2 (c.2689_2690insT) in an NOA-affected patient. And this variant was inherited from heterozygous parental carriers by natural reproduction. HE, IF, and meiotic chromosomal spread analyses demonstrated that spermatogenesis was arrested at the zygotene stage in the proband with NOA. Thus, this study revealed that SYCP2 associated with NOA segregates in an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern, rather than an autosomal dominant pattern. Furthermore, our study expanded the knowledge of variants in SYCP2 and provided new insight into understanding the genetic etiology of NOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwei Xu
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifan Sun
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxiang Zhang
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ningjing Ou
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Lab of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haowei Bai
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingpeng Zhao
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Lab of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuai Xu
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaqiang Luo
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Sha Han
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Li
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruhui Tian
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Erlei Zhi
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhua Huang
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Research Center, Sun Yat-sen University Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Department of Andrology, The Reproductive Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chencheng Yao
- Department of Andrology, The Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Lab of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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7
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Cahoon CK, Richter CM, Dayton AE, Libuda DE. Sexual dimorphic regulation of recombination by the synaptonemal complex in C. elegans. eLife 2023; 12:e84538. [PMID: 37796106 PMCID: PMC10611432 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In sexually reproducing organisms, germ cells faithfully transmit the genome to the next generation by forming haploid gametes, such as eggs and sperm. Although most meiotic proteins are conserved between eggs and sperm, many aspects of meiosis are sexually dimorphic, including the regulation of recombination. The synaptonemal complex (SC), a large ladder-like structure that forms between homologous chromosomes, is essential for regulating meiotic chromosome organization and promoting recombination. To assess whether sex-specific differences in the SC underpin sexually dimorphic aspects of meiosis, we examined Caenorhabditis elegans SC central region proteins (known as SYP proteins) in oogenesis and spermatogenesis and uncovered sex-specific roles for the SYPs in regulating meiotic recombination. We find that SC composition, specifically SYP-2, SYP-3, SYP-5, and SYP-6, is regulated by sex-specific mechanisms throughout meiotic prophase I. During pachytene, both oocytes and spermatocytes differentially regulate the stability of SYP-2 and SYP-3 within an assembled SC. Further, we uncover that the relative amount of SYP-2 and SYP-3 within the SC is independently regulated in both a sex-specific and a recombination-dependent manner. Specifically, we find that SYP-2 regulates the early steps of recombination in both sexes, while SYP-3 controls the timing and positioning of crossover recombination events across the genomic landscape in only oocytes. Finally, we find that SYP-2 and SYP-3 dosage can influence the composition of the other SYPs in the SC via sex-specific mechanisms during pachytene. Taken together, we demonstrate dosage-dependent regulation of individual SC components with sex-specific functions in recombination. These sexual dimorphic features of the SC provide insights into how spermatogenesis and oogenesis adapted similar chromosome structures to differentially regulate and execute recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cori K Cahoon
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
| | - Colette M Richter
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
| | - Amelia E Dayton
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
| | - Diana E Libuda
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of OregonEugeneUnited States
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8
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Abstract
Meiosis is a specialized cell division program that is essential for sexual reproduction. The two meiotic divisions reduce chromosome number by half, typically generating haploid genomes that are packaged into gametes. To achieve this ploidy reduction, meiosis relies on highly unusual chromosomal processes including the pairing of homologous chromosomes, assembly of the synaptonemal complex, programmed formation of DNA breaks followed by their processing into crossovers, and the segregation of homologous chromosomes during the first meiotic division. These processes are embedded in a carefully orchestrated cell differentiation program with multiple interdependencies between DNA metabolism, chromosome morphogenesis, and waves of gene expression that together ensure the correct number of chromosomes is delivered to the next generation. Studies in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have established essentially all fundamental paradigms of meiosis-specific chromosome metabolism and have uncovered components and molecular mechanisms that underlie these conserved processes. Here, we provide an overview of all stages of meiosis in this key model system and highlight how basic mechanisms of genome stability, chromosome architecture, and cell cycle control have been adapted to achieve the unique outcome of meiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Valentin Börner
- Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD), Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
| | | | - Amy J MacQueen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
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9
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Adams IR, Davies OR. Meiotic Chromosome Structure, the Synaptonemal Complex, and Infertility. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2023; 24:35-61. [PMID: 37159901 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-110122-090239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In meiosis, homologous chromosome synapsis is mediated by a supramolecular protein structure, the synaptonemal complex (SC), that assembles between homologous chromosome axes. The mammalian SC comprises at least eight largely coiled-coil proteins that interact and self-assemble to generate a long, zipper-like structure that holds homologous chromosomes in close proximity and promotes the formation of genetic crossovers and accurate meiotic chromosome segregation. In recent years, numerous mutations in human SC genes have been associated with different types of male and female infertility. Here, we integrate structural information on the human SC with mouse and human genetics to describe the molecular mechanisms by which SC mutations can result in human infertility. We outline certain themes in which different SC proteins are susceptible to different types of disease mutation and how genetic variants with seemingly minor effects on SC proteins may act as dominant-negative mutations in which the heterozygous state is pathogenic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R Adams
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom;
| | - Owen R Davies
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom;
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10
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Kursel LE, Martinez JEA, Rog O. A suppressor screen in C. elegans identifies a multi-protein interaction interface that stabilizes the synaptonemal complex. bioRxiv 2023:2023.08.21.554166. [PMID: 37662357 PMCID: PMC10473659 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.21.554166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Successful chromosome segregation into gametes depends on tightly-regulated interactions between the parental chromosomes. During meiosis, chromosomes are aligned end-to-end by an interface called the synaptonemal complex, which also regulates exchanges between them. However, despite the functional and ultrastructural conservation of this essential interface, how protein-protein interactions within the synaptonemal complex regulate chromosomal interactions remains poorly understood. Here we describe a novel interaction interface in the C. elegans synaptonemal complex, comprised of short segments of three proteins, SYP-1, SYP-3 and SYP-4. We identified the interface through a saturated suppressor screen of a mutant that destabilizes the synaptonemal complex. The specificity and tight distribution of suppressors point to a charge-based interface that promotes interactions between synaptonemal complex subunits and, in turn, allows intimate interactions between chromosomes. Our work highlights the power of genetic studies to illuminate the mechanisms that underly meiotic chromosome interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E. Kursel
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, United States
| | - Jesus E. Aguayo Martinez
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, United States
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, United States
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11
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Haseeb MA, Weng KA, Bickel SE. Chromatin-associated cohesin turns over extensively and forms new cohesive linkages during meiotic prophase. bioRxiv 2023:2023.08.17.553729. [PMID: 37645916 PMCID: PMC10462139 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.17.553729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
In dividing cells, accurate chromosome segregation depends on sister chromatid cohesion, protein linkages that are established during DNA replication. Faithful chromosome segregation in oocytes requires that cohesion, first established in S phase, remain intact for days to decades, depending on the organism. Premature loss of meiotic cohesion in oocytes leads to the production of aneuploid gametes and contributes to the increased incidence of meiotic segregation errors as women age (maternal age effect). The prevailing model is that cohesive linkages do not turn over in mammalian oocytes. However, we have previously reported that cohesion-related defects arise in Drosophila oocytes when individual cohesin subunits or cohesin regulators are knocked down after meiotic S phase. Here we use two strategies to express a tagged cohesin subunit exclusively during mid-prophase in Drosophila oocytes and demonstrate that newly expressed cohesin is used to form de novo linkages after meiotic S phase. Moreover, nearly complete turnover of chromosome-associated cohesin occurs during meiotic prophase, with faster replacement on the arms than at the centromeres. Unlike S-phase cohesion establishment, the formation of new cohesive linkages during meiotic prophase does not require acetylation of conserved lysines within the Smc3 head. Our findings indicate that maintenance of cohesion between S phase and chromosome segregation in Drosophila oocytes requires an active cohesion rejuvenation program that generates new cohesive linkages during meiotic prophase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad A. Haseeb
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College 78 College Street, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Katherine A. Weng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College 78 College Street, Hanover, NH 03755
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12
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Llano E, Pendás AM. Synaptonemal Complex in Human Biology and Disease. Cells 2023; 12:1718. [PMID: 37443752 PMCID: PMC10341275 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a meiosis-specific multiprotein complex that forms between homologous chromosomes during prophase of meiosis I. Upon assembly, the SC mediates the synapses of the homologous chromosomes, leading to the formation of bivalents, and physically supports the formation of programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their subsequent repair and maturation into crossovers (COs), which are essential for genome haploidization. Defects in the assembly of the SC or in the function of the associated meiotic recombination machinery can lead to meiotic arrest and human infertility. The majority of proteins and complexes involved in these processes are exclusively expressed during meiosis or harbor meiosis-specific subunits, although some have dual functions in somatic DNA repair and meiosis. Consistent with their functions, aberrant expression and malfunctioning of these genes have been associated with cancer development. In this review, we focus on the significance of the SC and their meiotic-associated proteins in human fertility, as well as how human genetic variants encoding for these proteins affect the meiotic process and contribute to infertility and cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Llano
- Departamento Fisiología y Farmacología, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Molecular Mechanisms Program, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Instituto de Biologıía Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Alberto M. Pendás
- Molecular Mechanisms Program, Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Instituto de Biologıía Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
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13
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Shinohara M, Shinohara A. The Msh5 complex shows homeostatic localization in response to DNA double-strand breaks in yeast meiosis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1170689. [PMID: 37274743 PMCID: PMC10232913 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1170689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiotic crossing over is essential for the segregation of homologous chromosomes. The formation and distribution of meiotic crossovers (COs), which are initiated by the formation of double-strand break (DSB), are tightly regulated to ensure at least one CO per bivalent. One type of CO control, CO homeostasis, maintains a consistent level of COs despite fluctuations in DSB numbers. Here, we analyzed the localization of proteins involved in meiotic recombination in budding yeast xrs2 hypomorphic mutants which show different levels of DSBs. The number of cytological foci with recombinases, Rad51 and Dmc1, which mark single-stranded DNAs at DSB sites is proportional to the DSB numbers. Among the pro-CO factor, ZMM/SIC proteins, the focus number of Zip3, Mer3, or Spo22/Zip4, was linearly proportional to reduced DSBs in the xrs2 mutant. In contrast, foci of Msh5, a component of the MutSγ complex, showed a non-linear response to reduced DSBs. We also confirmed the homeostatic response of COs by genetic analysis of meiotic recombination in the xrs2 mutants and found a chromosome-specific homeostatic response of COs. Our study suggests that the homeostatic response of the Msh5 assembly to reduced DSBs was genetically distinct from that of the Zip3 assembly for CO control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Shinohara
- Department of Advanced Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nara, Japan
- Agricultural Technology and Innovation Research Institute, Kindai University, Nara, Japan
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akira Shinohara
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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14
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Bikchurina T, Pavlenko M, Kizilova E, Rubtsova D, Sheremetyeva I, Kartavtseva I, Torgasheva A, Borodin P. Chromosome Asynapsis Is the Main Cause of Male Sterility in the Interspecies Hybrids of East Asian Voles ( Alexandromys, Rodentia, Arvicolinae). Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14051022. [PMID: 37239382 DOI: 10.3390/genes14051022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Closely related mammalian species often have differences in chromosome number and morphology, but there is still a debate about how these differences relate to reproductive isolation. To study the role of chromosome rearrangements in speciation, we used the gray voles in the Alexandromys genus as a model. These voles have a high level of chromosome polymorphism and substantial karyotypic divergence. We investigated testis histology and meiotic chromosome behavior in the captive-bred colonies of Alexandromys maximowiczii, Alexandromys mujanensis, two chromosome races of Alexandromys evoronensis, and their interracial and interspecies hybrids, to explore the relationship between karyotypic differences and male hybrid sterility. We found that the seminiferous tubules of the males of the parental species and the interracial hybrids, which were simple heterozygotes for one or more chromosome rearrangements, contained germ cells at all stages of spermatogenesis, indicating their potential fertility. Their meiotic cells displayed orderly chromosome synapsis and recombination. In contrast, all interspecies male hybrids, which were complex heterozygotes for a series of chromosome rearrangements, showed signs of complete sterility. Their spermatogenesis was mainly arrested at the zygotene- or pachytene-like stages due to the formation of complex multivalent chains, which caused extended chromosome asynapsis. The asynapsis led to the silencing of unsynapsed chromatin. We suggest that chromosome asynapsis is the main cause of meiotic arrest and male sterility in the interspecies hybrids of East Asian voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Bikchurina
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Marina Pavlenko
- Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Elena Kizilova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Daria Rubtsova
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Irina Sheremetyeva
- Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Irina Kartavtseva
- Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Anna Torgasheva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Pavel Borodin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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15
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Tsubouchi H. The Hop2-Mnd1 Complex and Its Regulation of Homologous Recombination. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13040662. [PMID: 37189409 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination (HR) is essential for meiosis in most sexually reproducing organisms, where it is induced upon entry into meiotic prophase. Meiotic HR is conducted by the collaborative effort of proteins responsible for DNA double-strand break repair and those produced specifically during meiosis. The Hop2-Mnd1 complex was originally identified as a meiosis-specific factor that is indispensable for successful meiosis in budding yeast. Later, it was found that Hop2-Mnd1 is conserved from yeasts to humans, playing essential roles in meiosis. Accumulating evidence suggests that Hop2-Mnd1 promotes RecA-like recombinases towards homology search/strand exchange. This review summarizes studies on the mechanism of the Hop2-Mnd1 complex in promoting HR and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Tsubouchi
- Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503, Kanagawa, Japan
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503, Kanagawa, Japan
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16
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Xiang Y, Tsuchiya D, Guo F, Gardner J, McCroskey S, Price A, Tromer EC, Walters JR, Lake CM, Hawley RS. A molecular cell biology toolkit for the study of meiosis in the silkworm Bombyx mori. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:7076392. [PMID: 36911915 PMCID: PMC10151401 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Meiosis is usually described as four essential and sequential processes: (1) homolog pairing; (2) synapsis, mediated by the synaptonemal complex (SC); (3) crossing over; and (4) segregation. In this canonical model, the maturation of crossovers into chiasmata plays a vital role in holding homologs together and ensuring their segregation at the first meiotic division. However, Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) undergo three distinct meiotic processes, only one of which is canonical. Lepidoptera males utilize two meiotic processes: canonical meiosis that produces nucleated fertile sperm, and a noncanonical meiosis that produces anucleated nonfertile sperm which are nonetheless essential for reproduction. Lepidoptera females, which carry heteromorphic sex chromosomes, undergo a completely achiasmate (lacking crossovers) meiosis, thereby requiring an alternative mechanism to ensure proper homolog segregation. Here we report the development of a molecular cell biology toolkit designed to properly analyze features of meiosis, including the SC structure and function, in the silkworm Bombyx mori. In addition to standard homology searches to identify Bombyx orthologs of known SC encoding genes, we developed an ortholog discovery app (Shinyapp) to identify Bombyx orthologs of proteins involved in several meiotic processes. We used this information to clone genes expressed in the testes and then created antibodies against their protein products. We used the antibodies to confirm the localization of these proteins in normal male spermatocytes, as well as using in vitro assays to confirm orthologous interactions. The development of this toolkit will facilitate further study of the unique meiotic processes that characterize meiosis in Lepidoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youbin Xiang
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Dai Tsuchiya
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Fengli Guo
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Jennifer Gardner
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Scott McCroskey
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Andrew Price
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - Eelco C Tromer
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - James R Walters
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA
| | - Cathleen M Lake
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA
| | - R Scott Hawley
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA.,Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
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17
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Fozard JA, Morgan C, Howard M. Coarsening dynamics can explain meiotic crossover patterning in both the presence and absence of the synaptonemal complex. eLife 2023; 12:e79408. [PMID: 36847348 PMCID: PMC10036115 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The shuffling of genetic material facilitated by meiotic crossovers is a critical driver of genetic variation. Therefore, the number and positions of crossover events must be carefully controlled. In Arabidopsis, an obligate crossover and repression of nearby crossovers on each chromosome pair are abolished in mutants that lack the synaptonemal complex (SC), a conserved protein scaffold. We use mathematical modelling and quantitative super-resolution microscopy to explore and mechanistically explain meiotic crossover pattering in Arabidopsis lines with full, incomplete, or abolished synapsis. For zyp1 mutants, which lack an SC, we develop a coarsening model in which crossover precursors globally compete for a limited pool of the pro-crossover factor HEI10, with dynamic HEI10 exchange mediated through the nucleoplasm. We demonstrate that this model is capable of quantitatively reproducing and predicting zyp1 experimental crossover patterning and HEI10 foci intensity data. Additionally, we find that a model combining both SC- and nucleoplasm-mediated coarsening can explain crossover patterning in wild-type Arabidopsis and in pch2 mutants, which display partial synapsis. Together, our results reveal that regulation of crossover patterning in wild-type Arabidopsis and SC-defective mutants likely acts through the same underlying coarsening mechanism, differing only in the spatial compartments through which the pro-crossover factor diffuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Fozard
- Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research ParkNorwichUnited Kingdom
| | - Chris Morgan
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research ParkNorwichUnited Kingdom
| | - Martin Howard
- Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research ParkNorwichUnited Kingdom
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18
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Pollard MG, Rockmill B, Oke A, Anderson CM, Fung JC. Kinetic analysis of synaptonemal complex dynamics during meiosis of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals biphasic growth and abortive disassembly. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1098468. [PMID: 36814598 PMCID: PMC9939684 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1098468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a dynamic structure formed between chromosomes during meiosis which stabilizes and supports many essential meiotic processes such as pairing and recombination. In budding yeast, Zip1 is a functionally conserved element of the SC that is important for synapsis. Here, we directly measure the kinetics of Zip1-GFP assembly and disassembly in live cells of the yeast S. cerevisiae. The imaging of SC assembly in yeast is challenging due to the large number of chromosomes packed into a small nucleus. We employ a zip3Δ mutant in which only a few chromosomes undergo synapsis at any given time, initiating from a single site on each chromosome, thus allowing the assembly and disassembly kinetics of single SCs to be accurately monitored in living cells. SC assembly occurs with both monophasic and biphasic kinetics, in contrast to the strictly monophasic assembly seen in C. elegans. In wild-type cells, once maximal synapsis is achieved, programmed final disassembly rapidly follows, as Zip1 protein is actively degraded. In zip3Δ, this period is extended and final disassembly is prolonged. Besides final disassembly, we found novel disassembly events involving mostly short SCs that disappeared in advance of programmed final disassembly, which we termed "abortive disassembly." Abortive disassembly is distinct from final disassembly in that it occurs when Zip1 protein levels are still high, and exhibits a much slower rate of disassembly, suggesting a different mechanism for removal in the two types of disassembly. We speculate that abortive disassembly events represent defective or stalled SCs, possibly representing SC formation between non-homologs, that is then targeted for dissolution. These results reveal novel aspects of SC assembly and disassembly, potentially providing evidence of additional regulatory pathways controlling not just the assembly, but also the disassembly, of this complex cellular structure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jennifer C. Fung
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center of Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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19
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Crichton JH, Dunce JM, Dunne OM, Salmon LJ, Devenney PS, Lawson J, Adams IR, Davies OR. Structural maturation of SYCP1-mediated meiotic chromosome synapsis by SYCE3. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:188-199. [PMID: 36635604 PMCID: PMC7614228 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-022-00909-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In meiosis, a supramolecular protein structure, the synaptonemal complex (SC), assembles between homologous chromosomes to facilitate their recombination. Mammalian SC formation is thought to involve hierarchical zipper-like assembly of an SYCP1 protein lattice that recruits stabilizing central element (CE) proteins as it extends. Here we combine biochemical approaches with separation-of-function mutagenesis in mice to show that, rather than stabilizing the SYCP1 lattice, the CE protein SYCE3 actively remodels this structure during synapsis. We find that SYCP1 tetramers undergo conformational change into 2:1 heterotrimers on SYCE3 binding, removing their assembly interfaces and disrupting the SYCP1 lattice. SYCE3 then establishes a new lattice by its self-assembly mimicking the role of the disrupted interface in tethering together SYCP1 dimers. SYCE3 also interacts with CE complexes SYCE1-SIX6OS1 and SYCE2-TEX12, providing a mechanism for their recruitment. Thus, SYCE3 remodels the SYCP1 lattice into a CE-binding integrated SYCP1-SYCE3 lattice to achieve long-range synapsis by a mature SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H Crichton
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James M Dunce
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Orla M Dunne
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Vienna BioCenter Core Facilities GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lucy J Salmon
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Paul S Devenney
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jennifer Lawson
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian R Adams
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, MRC Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Owen R Davies
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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20
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Zhang L, Stauffer WT, Wang JS, Wu F, Yu Z, Liu C, Kim HJ, Dernburg AF. Recruitment of Polo-like kinase couples synapsis to meiotic progression via inactivation of CHK-2. eLife 2023; 12:84492. [PMID: 36700544 PMCID: PMC9998088 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiotic chromosome segregation relies on synapsis and crossover (CO) recombination between homologous chromosomes. These processes require multiple steps that are coordinated by the meiotic cell cycle and monitored by surveillance mechanisms. In diverse species, failures in chromosome synapsis can trigger a cell cycle delay and/or lead to apoptosis. How this key step in 'homolog engagement' is sensed and transduced by meiotic cells is unknown. Here we report that in C. elegans, recruitment of the Polo-like kinase PLK-2 to the synaptonemal complex triggers phosphorylation and inactivation of CHK-2, an early meiotic kinase required for pairing, synapsis, and double-strand break (DSB) induction. Inactivation of CHK-2 terminates DSB formation and enables CO designation and cell cycle progression. These findings illuminate how meiotic cells ensure CO formation and accurate chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangyu Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- California Institute for Quantitative BiosciencesBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Weston T Stauffer
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - John S Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Zhouliang Yu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- California Institute for Quantitative BiosciencesBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Chenshu Liu
- California Institute for Quantitative BiosciencesBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| | - Hyung Jun Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Abby F Dernburg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- California Institute for Quantitative BiosciencesBerkeleyUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyUnited States
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21
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Soriano J, Belmonte-Tebar A, de la Casa-Esperon E. Synaptonemal & CO analyzer: A tool for synaptonemal complex and crossover analysis in immunofluorescence images. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1005145. [PMID: 36743415 PMCID: PMC9894712 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1005145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
During the formation of ova and sperm, homologous chromosomes get physically attached through the synaptonemal complex and exchange DNA at crossover sites by a process known as meiotic recombination. Chromosomes that do not recombine or have anomalous crossover distributions often separate poorly during the subsequent cell division and end up in abnormal numbers in ova or sperm, which can lead to miscarriage or developmental defects. Crossover numbers and distribution along the synaptonemal complex can be visualized by immunofluorescent microscopy. However, manual analysis of large numbers of cells is very time-consuming and a major bottleneck for recombination studies. Some image analysis tools have been created to overcome this situation, but they are not readily available, do not provide synaptonemal complex data, or do not tackle common experimental difficulties, such as overlapping chromosomes. To overcome these limitations, we have created and validated an open-source ImageJ macro routine that facilitates and speeds up the crossover and synaptonemal complex analyses in mouse chromosome spreads, as well as in other vertebrate species. It is free, easy to use and fulfills the recommendations for enhancing rigor and reproducibility in biomedical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquim Soriano
- Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | - Angela Belmonte-Tebar
- Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | - Elena de la Casa-Esperon
- Centro Regional de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CRIB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain,Biology of Cell Growth, Differentiation and Activation Group, Department of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain,*Correspondence: Elena de la Casa-Esperon,
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22
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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
- *Correspondence: Masaru Ito, ; Akira Shinohara,
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23
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Wang J, Wang W, Li J, Zhang Y, Luo K, Han L, Xiang C, Chai M, Luo Z, Zhao R, Liu S. Formation of the synaptonemal complex in a gynogenetic allodiploid hybrid fish. Front Genet 2023; 14:998775. [PMID: 36923790 PMCID: PMC10009232 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.998775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The correct pairing and separation of homologous chromosomes during meiosis is crucial to ensure both genetic stability and genetic diversity within species. In allodiploid organisms, synapsis often fails, leading to sterility. However, a gynogenetic allodiploid hybrid clone line (GDH), derived by crossing red crucian carp (Carassius auratus ♀) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio ♂), stably produces diploid eggs. Because the GDH line carries 100 chromosomes with 50 chromosomes from the red crucian carp (RCC; ♀, 2n = 2x = 100) and 50 chromosomes from the common carp (CC; C. carpio L., ♂, 2n = 2x = 100), it is interesting to study the mechanisms of homologous chromosome pairing during meiosis in GDH individuals. Methods: By using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a probe specific to the red crucian carp to label homologous chromosomes, we identified the synaptonemal complex via immunofluorescence assay of synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3). Results: FISH results indicated that, during early ovarian development, the GDH oogonium had two sets of chromosomes with only one set from Carassius auratus, leading to the failure formation of normal bivalents and the subsequently blocking of meiosis. This inhibition lasted at least 5 months. After this long period of inhibition, pairs of germ cells fused, doubling the chromosomes such that the oocyte contained two sets of chromosomes from each parent. After chromosome doubling at 10 months old, homologous chromosomes and the synaptonemal complex were identified. Discussion: Causally, meiosis proceeded normally and eventually formed diploid germ cells. These results further clarify the mechanisms by which meiosis proceeds in hybrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Wen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Jihong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Yirui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Kaikun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Linmei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Caixia Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Mingli Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Ziye Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Rurong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Shaojun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
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24
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Spangenberg V, Redekop I, Simanovsky SA, Kolomiets O. Cytogenetic Analysis of the Bimodal Karyotype of the Common European Adder, Vipera berus (Viperidae). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12. [PMID: 36552484 DOI: 10.3390/ani12243563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Vipera berus is the species with the largest range of snakes on Earth and one of the largest among reptiles in general. It is also the only snake species found in the Arctic Circle. Vipera berus is the most involved species of the genus Vipera in the process of interspecific hybridization in nature. The taxonomy of the genus Vipera is based on molecular markers and morphology and requires clarification using SC-karyotyping. This work is a detailed comparative study of the somatic and meiotic karyotypes of V. berus, with special attention to DNA and protein markers associated with synaptonemal complexes. The karyotype of V. berus is a remarkable example of a bimodal karyotype containing both 16 large macrochromosomes and 20 microchromosomes. We traced the stages of the asynchronous assembly of both types of bivalents. The number of crossing-over sites per pachytene nucleus, the localization of the nucleolar organizer, and the unique heterochromatin block on the autosomal bivalent 6-an important marker-were determined. Our results show that the average number of crossing-over sites per pachytene nucleus is 49.5, and the number of MLH1 sites per bivalent 1 reached 11, which is comparable to several species of agamas.
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Matveevsky S, Bakloushinskaya I, Tambovtseva V, Atsaeva M, Grishaeva T, Bogdanov A, Kolomiets O. Nonhomologous Chromosome Interactions in Prophase I: Dynamics of Bizarre Meiotic Contacts in the Alay Mole Vole Ellobius alaicus (Mammalia, Rodentia). Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13122196. [PMID: 36553461 PMCID: PMC9778597 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonhomologous chromosome interactions take place in both somatic and meiotic cells. Prior to this study, we had discovered special contacts through the SYCP3 (synaptonemal complex protein 3) filament between the short arms of nonhomologous acrocentrics at the pachytene stage in the Alay mole vole, and these contacts demonstrate several patterns from proximity to the complete fusion stage. Here, we investigated the nonhomologous chromosome contacts in meiotic prophase I. It turned out that such contacts do not introduce changes into the classic distribution of DNA double-strand breaks. It is noteworthy that not all meiotic contacts were localized in the H3k9me3-positive heterochromatic environment. Both in the mid zygotene and in the early-mid diplotene, three types of contacts (proximity, touching, and anchoring/tethering) were observed, whereas fusion seems to be characteristic only for pachytene. The number of contacts in the mid pachytene is significantly higher than that in the zygotene, and the distance between centromeres in nonhomologous contacts is also the smallest in mid pachytene for all types of contacts. Thus, this work provides a new insight into the behavior of meiotic contacts during prophase I and points to avenues of further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Matveevsky
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Irina Bakloushinskaya
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Valentina Tambovtseva
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maret Atsaeva
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Cell Biology, Morphology and Microbiology, Chechen State University, 364024 Grozny, Russia
| | - Tatiana Grishaeva
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Aleksey Bogdanov
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Oxana Kolomiets
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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Láscarez-Lagunas LI, Nadarajan S, Martinez-Garcia M, Quinn JN, Todisco E, Thakkar T, Berson E, Eaford D, Crawley O, Montoya A, Faull P, Ferrandiz N, Barroso C, Labella S, Koury E, Smolikove S, Zetka M, Martinez-Perez E, Colaiácovo MP. ATM/ATR kinases link the synaptonemal complex and DNA double-strand break repair pathway choice. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4719-4726.e4. [PMID: 36137547 PMCID: PMC9643613 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are deleterious lesions, which must be repaired precisely to maintain genomic stability. During meiosis, programmed DSBs are repaired via homologous recombination (HR) while repair using the nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway is inhibited, thereby ensuring crossover formation and accurate chromosome segregation.1,2 How DSB repair pathway choice is implemented during meiosis is unknown. In C. elegans, meiotic DSB repair takes place in the context of the fully formed, highly dynamic zipper-like structure present between homologous chromosomes called the synaptonemal complex (SC).3,4,5,6,7,8,9 The SC consists of a pair of lateral elements bridged by a central region composed of the SYP proteins in C. elegans. How the structural components of the SC are regulated to maintain the architectural integrity of the assembled SC around DSB repair sites remained unclear. Here, we show that SYP-4, a central region component of the SC, is phosphorylated at Serine 447 in a manner dependent on DSBs and the ATM/ATR DNA damage response kinases. We show that this SYP-4 phosphorylation is critical for preserving the SC structure following exogenous (γ-IR-induced) DSB formation and for promoting normal DSB repair progression and crossover patterning following SPO-11-dependent and exogenous DSBs. We propose a model in which ATM/ATR-dependent phosphorylation of SYP-4 at the S447 site plays important roles both in maintaining the architectural integrity of the SC following DSB formation and in warding off repair via the NHEJ repair pathway, thereby preventing aneuploidy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura I Láscarez-Lagunas
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Saravanapriah Nadarajan
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Marina Martinez-Garcia
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julianna N Quinn
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Elena Todisco
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tanuj Thakkar
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Elizaveta Berson
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Don Eaford
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Oliver Crawley
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Alex Montoya
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Peter Faull
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Nuria Ferrandiz
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Consuelo Barroso
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Sara Labella
- McGill University, Biology Department, Stewart Biology Building, Room W5/24 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC H3A1B1, Canada
| | - Emily Koury
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Biology Building, Room 308, 129 E. Jefferson, Iowa City, IA 52242-1324, USA
| | - Sarit Smolikove
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Biology Building, Room 308, 129 E. Jefferson, Iowa City, IA 52242-1324, USA
| | - Monique Zetka
- McGill University, Biology Department, Stewart Biology Building, Room W5/24 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC H3A1B1, Canada
| | - Enrique Martinez-Perez
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Monica P Colaiácovo
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Room 334, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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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 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204701119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [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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Valiskova B, Gregorova S, Lustyk D, Šimeček P, Jansa P, Forejt J. Genic and Chromosomal Components of Prdm9-Driven Hybrid Male Sterility in Mice (Mus musculus). Genetics 2022; 222:6655690. [PMID: 35924978 PMCID: PMC9434306 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hybrid sterility contributes to speciation by preventing gene flow between related taxa. Prdm9, the first and only hybrid male sterility (HMS) gene known in vertebrates, predetermines the sites of recombination between homologous chromosomes and their synapsis in early meiotic prophase. The asymmetric binding of PRDM9 to heterosubspecific homologs of Mus m. musculus x Mus m. domesticus F1 hybrids and increase of PRDM9-independent DNA double-strand break (DSB) hotspots results in difficult to repair DSBs, incomplete synapsis of homologous chromosomes and meiotic arrest at the first meiotic prophase. Here we show that Prdm9 behaves as a major HMS gene in mice outside the Mus m. musculus x Mus m. domesticus F1 hybrids, in the genomes composed of Mus m. castaneus and Mus m. musculus chromosomes segregating on the Mus m. domesticus background. The Prdm9cst/dom2 (castaneus/domesticus) allelic combination secures meiotic synapsis, testes weight and sperm count within physiological limits, while the Prdm9msc1/dom2 (musculus/domesticus) males show a range of fertility impairment. Out of five quantitative trait loci contributing to the Prdm9msc1/dom2-related infertility, four control either meiotic synapsis or fertility phenotypes and one controls both, synapsis and fertility. Whole-genome genotyping of individual chromosomes showed preferential involvement of nonrecombinant musculus chromosomes in asynapsis in accordance with the chromosomal character of HMS. Moreover, we show that the overall asynapsis rate can be estimated solely from the genotype of individual males by scoring the effect of nonrecombinant musculus chromosomes. Prdm9-controlled HMS represents an example of genetic architecture of HMS consisting of genic and chromosomal components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Valiskova
- Laboratory of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Sona Gregorova
- Laboratory of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Diana Lustyk
- Laboratory of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Šimeček
- Central Laboratory of Bioinformatics, CEITEC—Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Jansa
- Laboratory of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Forejt
- Corresponding author: Laboratory of Mouse Molecular Genetics, Division BIOCEV, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Průmyslová 595, Vestec 25250, Czech Republic.
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Kim H, Choi K. Fast and Precise: How to Measure Meiotic Crossovers in Arabidopsis. Mol Cells 2022; 45:273-283. [PMID: 35444069 PMCID: PMC9095510 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2022.2054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, homologous chromosomes (homologs) pair and undergo genetic recombination via assembly and disassembly of the synaptonemal complex. Meiotic recombination is initiated by excess formation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), among which a subset are repaired by reciprocal genetic exchange, called crossovers (COs). COs generate genetic variations across generations, profoundly affecting genetic diversity and breeding. At least one CO between homologs is essential for the first meiotic chromosome segregation, but generally only one and fewer than three inter-homolog COs occur in plants. CO frequency and distribution are biased along chromosomes, suppressed in centromeres, and controlled by pro-CO, anti-CO, and epigenetic factors. Accurate and high-throughput detection of COs is important for our understanding of CO formation and chromosome behavior. Here, we review advanced approaches that enable precise measurement of the location, frequency, and genomic landscapes of COs in plants, with a focus on Arabidopsis thaliana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heejin Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea
| | - Kyuha Choi
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea
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Nabi S, Askari M, Rezaei-Gazik M, Salehi N, Almadani N, Tahamtani Y, Totonchi M. A rare frameshift mutation in SYCP1 is associated with human male infertility. Mol Hum Reprod 2022; 28:6563198. [PMID: 35377450 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper assembly of the synaptonemal complex is essential for successful meiosis, and impairments in the process lead to infertility. Meiotic transverse filament proteins encoded by the SYCP1 (synaptonemal complex protein 1) gene are one of the main components of the synaptonemal complex and play an important role in correct synapsis and recombination. Family-based whole exome sequencing revealed a rare homozygous SYCP1 frameshift mutation (c.2892delA: p.K967Nfs*1) in two men with severe oligozoospermia, followed by validation and segregation through Sanger sequencing. This single nucleotide deletion not only changes lysine 967 (K) into asparagine (N) but also causes a premature stop codon, which leads to deletion of 968-976 residues from the end of the C-tail region of the SYCP1 protein. Although, sycp1 knockout male mice are reported to be sterile with a complete lack of spermatids and spermatozoa, to date no SYCP1 variant has been associated with human oligozoospermia. HADDOCK analysis indicated that this mutation decreases the ability of the truncated SYCP1 protein to bind DNA. Immunodetection of ϒH2AX signal, in SYCP1 mutant semen cells and a 40% DNA fragmentation index might indicate that a small number of DNA double-strand breaks, which require SYCP1 and/or synapsis to be repaired, are not efficiently repaired, resulting in defects in differentiation of germline cells and appearance of the oligozoospermia phenotype. To our knowledge, this is the first report of homozygous SYCP1 mutation that decreases sperm count. Further studies are required to determine the function of the SYCP1 mutation, which is potentially associated with human oligozoospermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheila Nabi
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masomeh Askari
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.,Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases,Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Rezaei-Gazik
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Najmeh Salehi
- School of Biological Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Navid Almadani
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yaser Tahamtani
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.,Reproductive Epidemiology Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Totonchi
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.,School of Biological Science, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran.,Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
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Hou D, Yao C, Xu B, Luo W, Ke H, Li Z, Qin Y, Guo T. Variations of C14ORF39 and SYCE1 Identified in Idiopathic Premature Ovarian Insufficiency and Nonobstructive Azoospermia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022; 107:724-734. [PMID: 34718620 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) are the most severe diseases causing irreversible infertility in females and males, respectively. The contribution of synaptonemal complex (SC) gene variations in the pathogenesis of sporadic patients with POI and NOA has not been systematically illustrated. OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of SC genes in the pathogenesis of sporadic POI and NOA. DESIGN Genetic and functional study. SETTING University-based reproductive medicine center. PATIENT(S) A total of 1030 patients with sporadic POI and 400 patients with sporadic NOA. INTERVENTION(S) The variations of SC genes were filtered in the in-house database of whole exome sequencing performed in 1030 patients with sporadic POI and 400 patients with sporadic NOA. The pathogenic or likely pathogenic variations following recessive inheritance mode were selected according to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The pathogenic effects of the variations were verified by functional studies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) ACMG classification and functional characteristics. RESULT(S) Two homozygous variations of C14ORF39 and 2 recessive variations of SYCE1 were first identified in sporadic patients with POI and NOA, respectively. Functional studies showed the C14ORF39 variations significantly accelerated the protein degradation and the variations in SYCE1 disrupted its interaction with SYCP1 or C14ORF39, both of which affected SC assembly and meiosis. CONCLUSION(S) Our study identified novel pathogenic variations of C14ORF39 and SYCE1 in sporadic patients with POI or NOA, highlighting the essential role of SC genes in the maintenance of ovarian and testicular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Hou
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Medicine Research Center for Reproductive Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Reproductive Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250001, Shandong, China
- School of Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chencheng Yao
- Department of Andrology, Center for Men's Health, Shanghai General Hospital; Department of ART, Institute of Urology, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai General Hospital; Shanghai Key Lab of Reproductive Medicine; Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Bingying Xu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Medicine Research Center for Reproductive Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Reproductive Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250001, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Luo
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Medicine Research Center for Reproductive Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Reproductive Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250001, Shandong, China
| | - Hanni Ke
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Medicine Research Center for Reproductive Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Reproductive Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250001, Shandong, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Department of Andrology, Center for Men's Health, Shanghai General Hospital; Department of ART, Institute of Urology, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai General Hospital; Shanghai Key Lab of Reproductive Medicine; Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Yingying Qin
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Medicine Research Center for Reproductive Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Reproductive Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250001, Shandong, China
| | - Ting Guo
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- National Research Center for Assisted Reproductive Technology and Reproductive Genetics, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Shandong Provincial Clinical Medicine Research Center for Reproductive Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
- Reproductive Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan 250001, Shandong, China
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32
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Voelkel-Meiman K, Oke A, Feil A, Shames A, Fung J, MacQueen AJ. A role for synaptonemal complex in meiotic mismatch repair. Genetics 2022; 220:iyab230. [PMID: 35100397 PMCID: PMC9097268 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A large subset of meiotic recombination intermediates form within the physical context of synaptonemal complex (SC), but the functional relationship between SC structure and homologous recombination remains obscure. Our prior analysis of strains deficient for SC central element proteins demonstrated that tripartite SC is dispensable for interhomolog recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we report that while dispensable for recombination per se, SC proteins promote efficient mismatch repair at interhomolog recombination sites. Failure to repair mismatches within heteroduplex-containing meiotic recombination intermediates leads to genotypically sectored colonies (postmeiotic segregation events). We discovered increased postmeiotic segregation at THR1 in cells lacking Ecm11 or Gmc2, or in the SC-deficient but recombination-proficient zip1[Δ21-163] mutant. High-throughput sequencing of octad meiotic products furthermore revealed a genome-wide increase in recombination events with unrepaired mismatches in ecm11 mutants relative to wildtype. Meiotic cells missing Ecm11 display longer gene conversion tracts, but tract length alone does not account for the higher frequency of unrepaired mismatches. Interestingly, the per-nucleotide mismatch frequency is elevated in ecm11 when analyzing all gene conversion tracts, but is similar between wildtype and ecm11 if considering only those events with unrepaired mismatches. Thus, in both wildtype and ecm11 strains a subset of recombination events is susceptible to a similar degree of inefficient mismatch repair, but in ecm11 mutants a larger fraction of events fall into this inefficient repair category. Finally, we observe elevated postmeiotic segregation at THR1 in mutants with a dual deficiency in MutSγ crossover recombination and SC assembly, but not in the mlh3 mutant, which lacks MutSγ crossovers but has abundant SC. We propose that SC structure promotes efficient mismatch repair of joint molecule recombination intermediates, and that absence of SC is the molecular basis for elevated postmeiotic segregation in both MutSγ crossover-proficient (ecm11, gmc2) and MutSγ crossover-deficient (msh4, zip3) strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Voelkel-Meiman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Ashwini Oke
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center of Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Arden Feil
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Alexander Shames
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Jennifer Fung
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Center of Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Amy J MacQueen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
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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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Liu Y, Zhao Q, Nie H, Zhang F, Fu T, Zhang Z, Qi F, Wang R, Zhou J, Gao J. SYP-5 regulates meiotic thermotolerance in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Mol Cell Biol 2021; 13:662-675. [PMID: 34081106 PMCID: PMC8648394 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis produces the haploid gametes required by all sexually reproducing organisms, occurring in specific temperature ranges in different organisms. However, how meiotic thermotolerance is regulated remains largely unknown. Using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, here, we identified the synaptonemal complex (SC) protein SYP-5 as a critical regulator of meiotic thermotolerance. syp-5-null mutants maintained a high percentage of viable progeny at 20°C but produced significantly fewer viable progeny at 25°C, a permissive temperature in wild-type worms. Cytological analysis of meiotic events in the mutants revealed that while SC assembly and disassembly, as well as DNA double-strand break repair kinetics, were not affected by the elevated temperature, crossover designation, and bivalent formation were significantly affected. More severe homolog segregation errors were also observed at elevated temperature. A temperature switching assay revealed that late meiotic prophase events were not temperature-sensitive and that meiotic defects during pachytene stage were responsible for the reduced viability of syp-5 mutants at the elevated temperature. Moreover, SC polycomplex formation and hexanediol sensitivity analysis suggested that SYP-5 was required for the normal properties of the SC, and charge-interacting elements in SC components were involved in regulating meiotic thermotolerance. Together, these findings provide a novel molecular mechanism for meiotic thermotolerance regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Qiuchen Zhao
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Hui Nie
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Fengguo Zhang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Tingting Fu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Zhenguo Zhang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Feifei Qi
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Ruoxi Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology of Shandong Province, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jinmin 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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35
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Spangenberg V, Losev M, Volkhin I, Smirnova S, Nikitin P, Kolomiets O. DNA Environment of Centromeres and Non-Homologous Chromosomes Interactions in Mouse. Cells 2021; 10:3375. [PMID: 34943883 PMCID: PMC8699862 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the pericentromeric regions of chromosomes that are enriched in tandemly repeated satellite DNA represent a significant part of eukaryotic genomes, they remain understudied, which is mainly due to interdisciplinary knowledge gaps. Recent studies suggest their important role in genome regulation, karyotype stability, and evolution. Thus, the idea of satellite DNA as a junk part of the genome has been refuted. The integration of data regarding molecular composition, chromosome behaviour, and the details of the in situ organization of pericentromeric regions is of great interest. The objective of this work was a cytogenetic analysis of the interactions between pericentromeric regions from non-homologous chromosomes in mouse spermatocytes using immuno-FISH. We analysed two events: the associations between centromeric regions of the X chromosome and autosomes and the associations between the centromeric regions of the autosomal bivalents that form chromocenters. We concluded that the X chromosome forms temporary synaptic associations with different autosomes in early meiotic prophase I, which can normally be found until the pachytene-diplotene, without signs of pachytene arrest. These associations are formed between the satellite-DNA-rich centromeric regions of the X chromosome and different autosomes but do not involve the satellite-DNA-poor centromeric region of the Y chromosome. We suggest the hypothetical model of X chromosome competitive replacement from such associations during synaptic correction. We showed that the centromeric region of the X chromosome in association remains free of γH2Ax-dependent chromatin inactivation, while the Y chromosome is completely inactivated. This finding highlights the predominant role of associations between satellite DNA-rich regions of different chromosomes, including the X chromosome. We suppose that X-autosomal transient associations are a manifestation of an additional synaptic disorder checkpoint. These associations are normally corrected before the late diplotene stage. We revealed that the intense spreading conditions that were applied to the spermatocyte I nuclei did not lead to the destruction of stretched chromatin fibers of elongated chromocenters enriched in satellite DNA. The tight associations that we revealed between the pericentromeric regions of different autosomal bivalents and the X chromosome may represent the basis for a mechanism for maintaining the repeats stability in the autosomes and in the X chromosome. The consequences of our findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Spangenberg
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (M.L.); (I.V.); (S.S.); (P.N.); (O.K.)
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36
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Kursel LE, Cope HD, Rog O. Unconventional conservation reveals structure-function relationships in the synaptonemal complex. eLife 2021; 10:72061. [PMID: 34787570 PMCID: PMC8598163 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional requirements constrain protein evolution, commonly manifesting in a conserved amino acid sequence. Here, we extend this idea to secondary structural features by tracking their conservation in essential meiotic proteins with highly diverged sequences. The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a ~100-nm-wide ladder-like meiotic structure present in all eukaryotic clades, where it aligns parental chromosomes and regulates exchanges between them. Despite the conserved ultrastructure and functions of the SC, SC proteins are highly divergent within Caenorhabditis. However, SC proteins have highly conserved length and coiled-coil domain structure. We found the same unconventional conservation signature in Drosophila and mammals, and used it to identify a novel SC protein in Pristionchus pacificus, Ppa-SYP-1. Our work suggests that coiled-coils play wide-ranging roles in the structure and function of the SC, and more broadly, that expanding sequence analysis beyond measures of per-site similarity can enhance our understanding of protein evolution and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E Kursel
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Henry D Cope
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences and Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
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Tebar AB, Perez ESM, Nam-Cha SH, Valls AJS, Singh ND, de la Casa-Esperon E. Diet effects on mouse meiotic recombination: a warning for recombination studies. Genetics 2021; 220:6428542. [PMID: 34791205 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic recombination is a critical process for sexually reproducing organisms. This exchange of genetic information between homologous chromosomes during meiosis is important not only because it generates genetic diversity, but also because it is often required for proper chromosome segregation. Consequently, the frequency and distribution of crossovers are tightly controlled to ensure fertility and offspring viability. However, in many systems it has been shown that environmental factors can alter the frequency of crossover events. Two studies in flies and yeast point to nutritional status affecting the frequency of crossing over. However, this question remains unexplored in mammals. Here we test how crossover frequency varies in response to diet in Mus musculus males. We use immunohistochemistry to estimate crossover frequency in multiple genotypes under two diet treatments. Our results indicate that while crossover frequency was unaffected by diet in some strains, other strains were sensitive even to small composition changes between two common laboratory chows. Therefore, recombination is both resistant and sensitive to certain dietary changes in a strain-dependent manner and, hence, this response is genetically determined. Our study is the first to report a nutrition effect on genome-wide levels of recombination. Moreover, our work highlights the importance of controlling diet in recombination studies and may point to diet as a potential source of variability among studies, which is relevant for reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Belmonte Tebar
- Regional Center for Biomedical Research (C.R.I.B.). University of Castilla-La Mancha. Albacete, 02008, Spain
| | - Estefania San Martin Perez
- Regional Center for Biomedical Research (C.R.I.B.). University of Castilla-La Mancha. Albacete, 02008, Spain
| | - Syong Hyun Nam-Cha
- Pathology Department and Biobank of Albacete. University Hospital Complex of Albacete. Albacete, 02006, Spain
| | | | - Nadia D Singh
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon. Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA
| | - Elena de la Casa-Esperon
- Regional Center for Biomedical Research (C.R.I.B.). University of Castilla-La Mancha. Albacete, 02008, Spain.,School of Pharmacy. University of Castilla-La Mancha. Albacete, 02071, Spain
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38
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Torgasheva A, Malinovskaya L, Zadesenets K, Shnaider E, Rubtsov N, Borodin P. Germline-Restricted Chromosome (GRC) in Female and Male Meiosis of the Great Tit (Parus major, Linnaeus, 1758). Front Genet 2021; 12:768056. [PMID: 34759962 PMCID: PMC8573160 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.768056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
All songbirds studied so far have a germline-restricted chromosome (GRC), which is present in the germ cells and absent in the somatic cells. It shows a wide variation in size, morphology, and genetic content between the songbird species. In this paper, we analyzed GRC behavior in female and male meiosis of the great tit, using immunolocalization of meiotic proteins and FISH with GRC-derived DNA probes. We found that, despite dozens of million years of independent evolution, the great tit GRC displays a striking similarity with the GRCs of two species of martins and two species of estrildid finches examined earlier. It was usually present in two copies in females forming recombining bivalent and in one copy in males forming a condensed heterochromatic body with dotted-like axial elements of the synaptonemal complex. We observed mosaicism for the GRC copy number in the female and male great tit. This indicates that one of the GRC copies might be passively lost during premeiotic germ cell divisions. After the meiotic prophase, the GRC was ejected from most male germ cells. The reverse and interspecies FISH with GRC-specific microdissected DNA probes indicates that GRCs of the great tit, pale martin, and zebra finch differ substantially in their genetic content despite similarities in the meiotic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Torgasheva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Lyubov Malinovskaya
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Kira Zadesenets
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | | | - Nikolai Rubtsov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Pavel Borodin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
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39
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Abstract
Recent studies in zebrafish have revealed key features of meiotic chromosome dynamics, including clustering of telomeres in the bouquet configuration, biogenesis of chromosome axis structures, and the assembly and disassembly of the synaptonemal complex that aligns homologs end-to-end. The telomere bouquet stage is especially pronounced in zebrafish meiosis and sub-telomeric regions play key roles in mediating pairing and homologous recombination. In this review, we discuss the temporal progression of these events in meiosis prophase I and highlight the roles of proteins associated with meiotic chromosome architecture in homologous recombination. Finally, we discuss the interplay between meiotic mutants and gonadal sex differentiation and future research directions to study meiosis in living cells, including cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Imai
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Ivan Olaya
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Noriyoshi Sakai
- Department of Gene Function and Phenomics, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan.,Department of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima, Japan
| | - Sean M Burgess
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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Silva DMZDA, Araya-Jaime C, Yamashita M, Vidal MR, Oliveira C, Porto-Foresti F, Artoni RF, Foresti F. Meiotic self-pairing of the Psalidodon (Characiformes, Characidae) iso-B chromosome: A successful perpetuation mechanism. Genet Mol Biol 2021; 44:e20210084. [PMID: 34617950 PMCID: PMC8495774 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2021-0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
B chromosomes are non-essential additional genomic elements present in several animal and plant species. In fishes, species of the genus Psalidodon (Characiformes, Characidae) harbor great karyotype diversity, and multiple populations carry different types of non-essential B chromosomes. This study analyzed how the dispensable supernumerary B chromosome of Psalidodon paranae behaves during meiosis to overcome checkpoints and express its own meiosis-specific genes. We visualized the synaptonemal complexes of P. paranae individuals with zero, one, or two B chromosomes using immunodetection with anti-medaka SYCP3 antibody and fluorescence in situ hybridization with a (CA)15 microsatellite probe. Our results showed that B chromosomes self-pair in cells containing only one B chromosome. In cells with two identical B chromosomes, these elements remain as separate synaptonemal complexes or close self-paired elements in the nucleus territory. Overall, we reveal that B chromosomes can escape meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin through a self-pairing process, allowing expression of their own genes to facilitate regular meiosis resulting in fertile individuals. This behavior, also seen in other congeneric species, might be related to their maintenance throughout the evolutionary history of Psalidodon.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristian Araya-Jaime
- Universidad de La Serena, Instituto de Investigación
Multidisciplinar en Ciencia y Tecnología, La Serena, Chile
- Universidad de La Serena, Departamento de Biología, Laboratorio de
Genética y Citogenética Vegetal, La Serena, Chile
| | - Masakane Yamashita
- Hokkaido University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biological
Sciences, Laboratory of Reproductive & Developmental Biology, Sapporo,
Japan
| | - Mateus Rossetto Vidal
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências de
Botucatu, Departamento de Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Botucatu, SP,
Brazil
| | - Claudio Oliveira
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências de
Botucatu, Departamento de Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Botucatu, SP,
Brazil
| | - Fábio Porto-Foresti
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências,
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Bauru, SP, Brazil
| | - Roberto Ferreira Artoni
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR), Departamento de
Genética e Evolução, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa (UEPG), Departamento de
Biologia Estrutural, Molecular e Genética, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Fausto Foresti
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biociências de
Botucatu, Departamento de Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Botucatu, SP,
Brazil
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41
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Liu C, Cao Y, Hua Y, Du G, Liu Q, Wei X, Sun T, Lin J, Wu M, Cheng Z, Wang K. Concurrent Disruption of Genetic Interference and Increase of Genetic Recombination Frequency in Hybrid Rice Using CRISPR/Cas9. Front Plant Sci 2021; 12:757152. [PMID: 34675957 PMCID: PMC8523357 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.757152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Manipulation of the distribution and frequency of meiotic recombination events to increase genetic diversity and disrupting genetic interference are long-standing goals in crop breeding. However, attenuation of genetic interference is usually accompanied by a reduction in recombination frequency and subsequent loss of plant fertility. In the present study, we generated null mutants of the ZEP1 gene, which encodes the central component of the meiotic synaptonemal complex (SC), in a hybrid rice using CRISPR/Cas9. The null mutants exhibited absolute male sterility but maintained nearly unaffected female fertility. By pollinating the zep1 null mutants with pollen from indica rice variety 93-11, we successfully conducted genetic analysis and found that genetic recombination frequency was greatly increased and genetic interference was completely eliminated in the absence of ZEP1. The findings provided direct evidence to support the controversial hypothesis that SC is involved in mediating interference. Additionally, the remained female fertility of the null mutants makes it possible to break linkage drag. Our study provides a potential approach to increase genetic diversity and fully eliminate genetic interference in rice breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaolei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yiwei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yufeng Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guijie Du
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianrong Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mingguo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhukuan Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kejian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou, China
- National Nanfan Research Institute (Sanya), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, China
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42
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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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43
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Capilla-Pérez L, Durand S, Hurel A, Lian Q, Chambon A, Taochy C, Solier V, Grelon M, Mercier R. The synaptonemal complex imposes crossover interference and heterochiasmy in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2023613118. [PMID: 33723072 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023613118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiotic recombination promotes genetic diversity by shuffling parental chromosomes. As observed by the very first geneticists, crossovers inhibit the formation of another crossover nearby, an elusive phenomenon called crossover interference. Another intriguing observation is heterochiasmy, the marked difference in male and female crossover rates observed in many species. Here, we show that the synaptonemal complex, a structure that zips homologous chromosomes together during meiosis, is essential for crossover interference in Arabidopsis. This suggests that a signal that inhibits crossover formation nearby a first crossover propagates along this specific structure. Furthermore, in the absence of the synaptonemal complex, crossover frequencies become identical in both sexes, suggesting that heterochiasmy is due to variation of crossover interference imposed by the synaptonemal complex. Meiotic crossovers (COs) have intriguing patterning properties, including CO interference, the tendency of COs to be well-spaced along chromosomes, and heterochiasmy, the marked difference in male and female CO rates. During meiosis, transverse filaments transiently associate the axes of homologous chromosomes, a process called synapsis that is essential for CO formation in many eukaryotes. Here, we describe the spatial organization of the transverse filaments in Arabidopsis (ZYP1) and show it to be evolutionary conserved. We show that in the absence of ZYP1 (zyp1a zyp1b null mutants), chromosomes associate in pairs but do not synapse. Unexpectedly, in absence of ZYP1, CO formation is not prevented but increased. Furthermore, genome-wide analysis of recombination revealed that CO interference is abolished, with the frequent observation of close COs. In addition, heterochiasmy was erased, with identical CO rates in males and females. This shows that the tripartite synaptonemal complex is dispensable for CO formation and has a key role in regulating their number and distribution, imposing CO interference and heterochiasmy.
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Lenykó-Thegze A, Fábián A, Mihók E, Makai D, Cseh A, Sepsi A. Pericentromeric chromatin reorganisation follows the initiation of recombination and coincides with early events of synapsis in cereals. Plant J 2021; 107:1585-1602. [PMID: 34171148 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The reciprocal exchange of genetic information between homologous chromosomes during meiotic recombination is essential to secure balanced chromosome segregation and to promote genetic diversity. The chromosomal position and frequency of reciprocal genetic exchange shapes the efficiency of breeding programmes and influences crop improvement under a changing climate. In large genome cereals, such as wheat and barley, crossovers are consistently restricted to subtelomeric chromosomal regions, thus preventing favourable allele combinations being formed within a considerable proportion of the genome, including interstitial and pericentromeric chromatin. Understanding the key elements driving crossover designation is therefore essential to broaden the regions available for crossovers. Here, we followed early meiotic chromatin dynamism in cereals through the visualisation of a homologous barley chromosome arm pair stably transferred into the wheat genetic background. By capturing the dynamics of a single chromosome arm at the same time as detecting the undergoing events of meiotic recombination and synapsis, we showed that subtelomeric chromatin of homologues synchronously transitions to an open chromatin structure during recombination initiation. By contrast, pericentromeric and interstitial regions preserved their closed chromatin organisation and become unpackaged only later, concomitant with initiation of recombinatorial repair and the initial assembly of the synaptonemal complex. Our results raise the possibility that the closed pericentromeric chromatin structure in cereals may influence the fate decision during recombination initiation, as well as the spatial development of synapsis, and may also explain the suppression of crossover events in the proximity of the centromeres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lenykó-Thegze
- Department of Biological Resources, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Centre for Agricultural Research, Brunszvik u. 2, Martonvásár, 2462, Hungary
| | - Attila Fábián
- Department of Biological Resources, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Centre for Agricultural Research, Brunszvik u. 2, Martonvásár, 2462, Hungary
| | - Edit Mihók
- Department of Biological Resources, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Centre for Agricultural Research, Brunszvik u. 2, Martonvásár, 2462, Hungary
| | - Diána Makai
- Department of Biological Resources, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Centre for Agricultural Research, Brunszvik u. 2, Martonvásár, 2462, Hungary
| | - András Cseh
- Department of Molecular Breeding, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Centre for Agricultural Research, Brunszvik u. 2, Martonvásár, 2462, Hungary
| | - Adél Sepsi
- Department of Biological Resources, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Centre for Agricultural Research, Brunszvik u. 2, Martonvásár, 2462, Hungary
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science (ABÉT), BME, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3-9, Budapest, 1111, Hungary
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Torgasheva A, Malinovskaya L, Zadesenets KS, Slobodchikova A, Shnaider E, Rubtsov N, Borodin P. Highly Conservative Pattern of Sex Chromosome Synapsis and Recombination in Neognathae Birds. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1358. [PMID: 34573341 PMCID: PMC8465153 DOI: 10.3390/genes12091358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We analyzed the synapsis and recombination between Z and W chromosomes in the oocytes of nine neognath species: domestic chicken Gallus gallus domesticus, grey goose Anser anser, black tern Chlidonias niger, common tern Sterna hirundo, pale martin Riparia diluta, barn swallow Hirundo rustica, European pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, great tit Parus major and white wagtail Motacilla alba using immunolocalization of SYCP3, the main protein of the lateral elements of the synaptonemal complex, and MLH1, the mismatch repair protein marking mature recombination nodules. In all species examined, homologous synapsis occurs in a short region of variable size at the ends of Z and W chromosomes, where a single recombination nodule is located. The remaining parts of the sex chromosomes undergo synaptic adjustment and synapse non-homologously. In 25% of ZW bivalents of white wagtail, synapsis and recombination also occur at the secondary pairing region, which probably resulted from autosome-sex chromosome translocation. Using FISH with a paint probe specific to the germline-restricted chromosome (GRC) of the pale martin on the oocytes of the pale martin, barn swallow and great tit, we showed that both maternally inherited songbird chromosomes (GRC and W) share common sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Torgasheva
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Lyubov Malinovskaya
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Kira S. Zadesenets
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
| | - Anastasia Slobodchikova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena Shnaider
- Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Centre, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia;
| | - Nikolai Rubtsov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Pavel Borodin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (A.T.); (L.M.); (K.S.Z.); (A.S.); (N.R.)
- Department of Cytology and Genetics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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Cooke PS, Walker WH. Male fertility in mice requires classical and nonclassical androgen signaling. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109557. [PMID: 34407397 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular mechanisms by which androgens signal through the androgen receptor (AR) to maintain male fertility are poorly understood. Transgenic mice were produced expressing mutant ARs that can only (1) alter gene transcription through the classical response pathway (AR-C) or (2) activate kinase signaling cascades via the nonclassical pathway (AR-NC). AR-C is sufficient to produce sperm and fertility. Haploid germ cell production, the blood-testis barrier, and spermatid migration are supported by AR-NC. Gene expression essential for chromosome synapsis during meiosis requires AR-C. We identify targets of androgen signaling required for male fertility and provide a mechanistic explanation for meiotic germ cell arrest in the absence of androgen signaling. Prostate differentiation occurs with AR-C alone, but full development requires synergistic nonclassical signaling. Both AR signaling pathways are necessary for normal male reproductive tract development and function, validating our mouse models for studies of AR functions in other target tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Cooke
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - William H Walker
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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Hernández-López D, Geisinger A, Trovero MF, Santiñaque FF, Brauer M, Folle GA, Benavente R, Rodríguez-Casuriaga R. Familial primary ovarian insufficiency associated with an SYCE1 point mutation: defective meiosis elucidated in humanized mice. Mol Hum Reprod 2021; 26:485-497. [PMID: 32402064 DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gaaa032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 50% of cases of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and nonobstructive azoospermia in humans are classified as idiopathic infertility. Meiotic defects may relate to at least some of these cases. Mutations in genes coding for synaptonemal complex (SC) components have been identified in humans, and hypothesized to be causative for the observed infertile phenotype. Mutation SYCE1 c.721C>T (former c.613C>T)-a familial mutation reported in two sisters with primary amenorrhea-was the first such mutation found in an SC central element component-coding gene. Most fundamental mammalian oogenesis events occur during the embryonic phase, and eventual defects are identified many years later, thus leaving few possibilities to study the condition's etiology and pathogenesis. Aiming to validate an approach to circumvent this difficulty, we have used the CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate a mouse model with an SYCE1 c.721C>T equivalent genome alteration. We hereby present the characterization of the homozygous mutant mice phenotype, compared to their wild type and heterozygous littermates. Our results strongly support a causative role of this mutation for the POI phenotype in human patients, and the mechanisms involved would relate to defects in homologous chromosome synapsis. No SYCE1 protein was detected in homozygous mutants and Syce1 transcript level was highly diminished, suggesting transcript degradation as the basis of the infertility mechanism. This is the first report on the generation of a humanized mouse model line for the study of an infertility-related human mutation in an SC component-coding gene, thus representing a proof of principle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Hernández-López
- Department of Molecular Biology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Adriana Geisinger
- Department of Molecular Biology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay.,Biochemistry-Molecular Biology, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | | | - Mónica Brauer
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Department of Experimental Neuropharmacology, IIBCE, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gustavo A Folle
- Department of Genetics, IIBCE, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay.,Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Core, IIBCE, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Ricardo Benavente
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rosana Rodríguez-Casuriaga
- Department of Molecular Biology, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay.,Biochemistry-Molecular Biology, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República (UdelaR), 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
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Abstract
This Outlook discusses Mu et al.’s finding showing that synaptonemal complex (SC) formation between individual chromosomes provides the feedback to down-regulate Spo11 activity, thereby revealing an additional function for the SC. Proper segregation during meiosis requires that homologs be connected by the combination of crossovers and sister chromatid cohesion. To generate crossovers, numerous double-strand breaks (DSBs) are introduced throughout the genome by the conserved Spo11 endonuclease. DSB formation and its repair are then highly regulated to ensure that homologous chromosomes contain at least one crossover and no DSBs remain prior to meiosis I segregation. The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a meiosis-specific structure formed between homologous chromosomes during prophase that promotes DSB formation and biases repair of DSBs to homologs over sister chromatids. Synapsis occurs when a particular recombination pathway is successful in establishing stable interhomolog connections. In this issue of Genes & Development, Mu and colleagues (pp. 1605–1618) show that SC formation between individual chromosomes provides the feedback to down-regulate Spo11 activity, thereby revealing an additional function for the SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy M Hollingsworth
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
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Abstract
In female mammals, meiotic prophase one begins during fetal development. Oocytes transition through the prophase one substages consisting of leptotene, zygotene, and pachytene, and are finally arrested at the diplotene substage, for months in mice and years in humans. After puberty, luteinizing hormone induces ovulation and meiotic resumption in a cohort of oocytes, driving the progression from meiotic prophase one to metaphase two. If fertilization occurs, the oocyte completes meiosis two followed by fusion with the sperm nucleus and preparation for zygotic divisions; otherwise, it is passed into the uterus and degenerates. Specifically in the mouse, oocytes enter meiosis at 13.5 days post coitum. As meiotic prophase one proceeds, chromosomes find their homologous partner, synapse, exchange genetic material between homologs and then begin to separate, remaining connected at recombination sites. At postnatal day 5, most of the oocytes have reached the late diplotene (or dictyate) substage of prophase one where they remain arrested until ovulation. This review focuses on events and mechanisms controlling the progression through meiotic prophase one, which include recombination, synapsis and control by signaling pathways. These events are prerequisites for proper chromosome segregation in meiotic divisions; and if they go awry, chromosomes mis-segregate resulting in aneuploidy. Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms regulating meiotic progression is important to provide a foundation for developing improved treatments of female infertility.
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Abstract
Chromosome segregation in eukaryotes is driven by the kinetochore, a macromolecular complex that connects centromeric DNA to microtubules of the spindle apparatus. Kinetochores in well-studied model eukaryotes consist of a core set of proteins that are broadly conserved among distant eukaryotic phyla. By contrast, unicellular flagellates of the class Kinetoplastida have a unique set of 36 kinetochore components. The evolutionary origin and history of these kinetochores remain unknown. Here, we report evidence of homology between axial element components of the synaptonemal complex and three kinetoplastid kinetochore proteins KKT16-18. The synaptonemal complex is a zipper-like structure that assembles between homologous chromosomes during meiosis to promote recombination. By using sensitive homology detection protocols, we identify divergent orthologues of KKT16-18 in most eukaryotic supergroups, including experimentally established chromosomal axis components, such as Red1 and Rec10 in budding and fission yeast, ASY3-4 in plants and SYCP2-3 in vertebrates. Furthermore, we found 12 recurrent duplications within this ancient eukaryotic SYCP2–3 gene family, providing opportunities for new functional complexes to arise, including KKT16-18 in the kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma brucei. We propose the kinetoplastid kinetochore system evolved by repurposing meiotic components of the chromosome synapsis and homologous recombination machinery that were already present in early eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eelco C Tromer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Cell Biochemistry, Groningen Institute of Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas A Wemyss
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Patryk Ludzia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ross F Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Bungo Akiyoshi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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