Meiotic interference among MLH1 foci requires neither an intact axial element structure nor full synapsis

Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2007 papers

Abstract

During meiosis, homologous chromosomes (homologs) perform reciprocal exchanges (crossovers) at a high frequency. Crossovers display interference, i.e. their spacing is more even than would be expected if they were placed randomly along the chromosomes. Concomitantly with crossover formation, synaptonemal complexes (SCs) appear between homologs: each chromosome forms an axial structure, the axial element (AE); the AEs of homologs align, and numerous transverse filaments connect the AEs to form an SC. Both the AE and the SC have been implicated in the imposition of interference. We investigated whether intact AEs or SCs are required for crossover interference in the mouse, using a mutant lacking AE protein SYCP3, which displays structurally abnormal AEs and incomplete synapsis. We estimated the level of interference from the spacing of immunofluorescent MLH1 foci, which mark almost all crossover sites in the mouse, along the SCs. The levels of interference among MLH1 foci in wild-type and Sycp3(-/-) mice were comparable, implying that neither an intact AE structure nor full synapsis is required for wild-type levels of interference.

Related Papers

• → Zip2, a Meiosis-Specific Protein Required for the Initiation of Chromosome Synapsis(1998)236 cited
• → Distribution of meiotic recombination events: talking to your neighbors(2009)85 cited
• → Progression of meiotic recombination requires structural maturation of the central element of the synaptonemal complex(2008)131 cited
• → Recombination, Pairing, and Synapsis of Homologs during Meiosis(2015)838 cited
• → Coupling crossover and synaptonemal complex in meiosis(2022)18 cited