Meiotic recombination in yeast

Atcheson, Catherine L.; Esposito, Rochelle Easton

doi:10.1016/s0959-437x(05)80092-9

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…These findings, in conjunction with the results reported in our present study, lead us to propose that Hop1 plays a prominent role in meiotic DSB repair and recombination in vivo. Of the many genes essential for meiotic recombination in yeast, several specify proteins that are homologous to Escherichia coli RecA; these genes include RAD51, RAD55, RAD57, and DMC1 (2,4,23,28). Like RecA protein, Rad51 protein polymerizes on single-stranded DNA in the presence of ATP to form helical nucleoprotein filaments that catalyze the formation of heteroduplex DNA in vitro (30,42).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cytologically, SC is seen as a tripartite structure, consisting of a central element flanked by two lateral elements that lie about 100 nm apart and are interconnected by transverse elements (43). It has been argued persuasively that only those recombination events that occur within the context of the SC generate stable chiasmata that are capable of facilitating proper disjunction (2,12,23).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Combined genetic and cytological analyses have identified several genes that can broadly be classified on the basis of their meiotic phenotypes as providing exchange, pairing, and regulatory functions (2). Mutations in these genes generally cause a reduction in reciprocal exchange between homologs, leading to the production of spores that are inviable due to aneuploidy.…”

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confidence: 99%

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DNA-Binding Activities of Hop1 Protein, a Synaptonemal Complex Component from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Kironmai

Muniyappa

Friedman

et al. 1998

Molecular and Cellular Biology

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The meiosis-specific HOP1 gene is important both for crossing over between homologs and for production of viable spores. hop1 diploids fail to assemble synaptonemal complex (SC), which normally provides the framework for meiotic synapsis. Immunochemical methods have shown that the 70-kDa HOP1 product is a component of the SC. To assess its molecular function, we have purified Hop1 protein to homogeneity and shown that it forms dimers and higher oligomers in solution. Consistent with the zinc-finger motif in its sequence, the purified protein contained about 1 mol equivalent of zinc whereas mutant protein lacking a conserved cysteine within this motif did not. Electrophoretic gel mobility shift assays with different forms of M13 DNA showed that Hop1 binds more readily to linear duplex DNA and negatively superhelical DNA than to nicked circular duplex DNA and even more weakly to single-stranded DNA. Linear duplex DNA binding was enhanced by the addition of Zn 2؉ , was stronger for longer DNA fragments, and was saturable to about 55 bp/protein monomer. Competitive inhibition of this binding by added oligonucleotides suggests preferential affinity for G-rich sequences and weaker binding to poly(dA-dT). Nuclear extracts of meiotic cells caused exonucleolytic degradation of linear duplex DNA if the extracts were prepared from hop1 mutants; addition of purified Hop1 conferred protection against this degradation. These findings suggest that Hop1 acts in meiotic synapsis by binding to sites of double-strand break formation and helping to mediate their processing in the pathway to meiotic recombination.Meiosis is a crucial step in the cycle of sexual reproduction, since it reduces the chromosome complement to haploidy in preparation for fertilization. A single round of DNA replication is followed by two successive rounds of chromosome segregation to produce four haploid products. During the first division, the centromeres of homologous chromosomes are translocated to opposite poles of the meiotic spindle while sister centromeres remain associated with one another. The fidelity of this division depends on crossing over between the homologs, because the chiasmata thus formed provide for cohesion between the homologs as they become aligned on the metaphase plate. In many organisms, crossing over depends in turn on the elaboration of the synaptonemal complex (SC), which joins the homologs along their length during the period when meiotic recombination takes place (23,32,36). Cytologically, SC is seen as a tripartite structure, consisting of a central element flanked by two lateral elements that lie about 100 nm apart and are interconnected by transverse elements (43). It has been argued persuasively that only those recombination events that occur within the context of the SC generate stable chiasmata that are capable of facilitating proper disjunction (2, 12, 23).The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has served as an instructive model for genetic dissection of key mechanisms in meiosis. Combined genetic and cytological analyses ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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DNA-Binding Activities of Hop1 Protein, a Synaptonemal Complex Component from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Kironmai

Muniyappa

Friedman

et al. 1998

Molecular and Cellular Biology

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“…In meiosis, it is responsible for the proper segregation of homologous chromosomes and the generation of genetic diversity (Haber 1992;Atcheson and Esposito 1993). Such recombination has often been assumed to occur anywhere along homologous chromosomes and, thus, has traditionally been considered a largely random process.…”

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“…Such recombination has often been assumed to occur anywhere along homologous chromosomes and, thus, has traditionally been considered a largely random process. However, limited analysis of this process in eukaryotes shows that some crossing-over occurs preferentially at specific sites in the genome, referred to as recombinational hot spots (Chakravarti et al 1986;Steinmetz et al 1986;Atcheson and Esposito 1993).…”

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Ea recombinational hot spot in the mouse major histocompatibility complex maps to the fourth intron of the Ea gene.

Khambata

Mody²,

Modzelewski³

et al. 1996

Genome Res.

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The majority of recombination events detected within the mouse major histocompatibility complex [MHC} fall into regions of limited physical distance known as hot spots of meiotic recombination. The hot spot associated with the Ea gene appears to be active only in the presence of the p allele carried by the intra-MHC recombinant strain BIO.F03R}. To study the frequency, regulation, and haplotype specificity of recombination at the Ea hot spot, progeny from three different backcrosses involving B10.FCI3R} were screened for recombination events across the MHC using DNA microsatellite markers. Screening of a total of 750 backcross progeny permitted the identification of seven recombinants within the Ea gene. Using restriction site polymorphisms, and sequence-based nucleotide polymorphisms, the recombination breakpoints in all seven Ea recombinants were mapped to two adjacent segments of 71 bp and 346 bp in intron 4 of the Ea gene.

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Changes in chromatin structure at recombination initiation sites during yeast meiosis.

1994

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Transient double‐strand breaks (DSBs) occur during Saccharomyces cerevisiae meiosis at recombination hot spots and are thought to initiate most, if not all, homologous recombination between chromosomes. To uncover the regulatory mechanisms active in DSB formation, we have monitored the change in local chromatin structure at the ARG4 and CYS3 recombination hot spots over the course of meiosis. Micrococcal nuclease (MNase) digestion of isolated meiotic chromatin followed by indirect end‐labeling revealed that the DSB sites in both loci are hypersensitive to MNase and that their sensitivity increases 2‐ to 4‐fold prior to the appearance of meiotic DSBs and recombination products. Other sensitive sites are not significantly altered. The study of hyper‐ and hypo‐recombinogenic constructs at the ARG4 locus, also revealed that the MNase sensitivity at the DSB site correlates with both the extent of DSBs and the rate of gene conversion. These results suggest that the local chromatin structure and its modification in early meiosis play an important role in the positioning and frequency of meiotic DSBs, leading to meiotic recombination.

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Meiotic recombination in yeast

Cited by 17 publications

References 63 publications

DNA-Binding Activities of Hop1 Protein, a Synaptonemal Complex Component from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DNA-Binding Activities of Hop1 Protein, a Synaptonemal Complex Component from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Ea recombinational hot spot in the mouse major histocompatibility complex maps to the fourth intron of the Ea gene.

Changes in chromatin structure at recombination initiation sites during yeast meiosis.

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