scholarly journals The conserved LEM-3/Ankle1 nuclease is involved in the combinatorial regulation of meiotic recombination repair and chromosome segregation in Caenorhabditis elegans

PLoS Genetics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. e1007453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Hong ◽  
Maria Velkova ◽  
Nicola Silva ◽  
Marlène Jagut ◽  
Viktor Scheidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Meiotic Recombination ◽  
Combinatorial Regulation ◽  
Recombination Repair

scholarly journals The conserved LEM-3/Ankle1 nuclease is involved in the combinatorial regulation of meiotic recombination repair and chromosome segregation in Caenorhabditis elegans

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Hong ◽  
Maria Velkova ◽  
Nicola Silva ◽  
Marlène Jagut ◽  
Viktor Scheidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Meiotic Recombination ◽  
Holliday Junctions ◽  
Combinatorial Regulation ◽  
Strand Breaks ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Repair Enzymes ◽  
Recombination Repair ◽  
Chromatin Bridges

AbstractHomologous recombination is essential for crossover (CO) formation and accurate chromosome segregation during meiosis. It is of considerable importance to work out how recombination intermediates are processed leading to CO and non-crossover (NCO) outcome. Genetic analysis in budding yeast and Caenorhabditis elegans indicates that the processing of meiotic recombination intermediates involves a combination of nucleases and DNA repair enzymes. We previously reported that in C. elegans meiotic Holiday junction resolution is mediated by two redundant pathways, conferred by the SLX-1 and MUS-81 nucleases, and by the HIM-6 Blooms helicase in conjunction with the XPF-1 endonucleases, respectively. Both pathways require the scaffold protein SLX-4. However, in the absence of all these enzymes residual processing of meiotic recombination intermediates still occurs and CO formation is reduced but not abolished. Here we show that the LEM-3 nuclease, mutation of which by itself does not have an overt meiotic phenotype, genetically interacts with slx-1 and mus-81 mutants, the respective double mutants leading to 100% embryonic lethality. LEM-3 and MUS-81 act redundantly, their combined loss leading to a reduced number of early meiotic recombination intermediates, to a delayed disassembly of foci associated with CO designated sites, and to the formation of univalents linked by SPO-11 dependent chromatin bridges (dissociated bivalents). However, LEM-3 foci do not co-localize with ZHP-3 a marker that congresses into CO designated sites. In addition, neither CO frequency nor distribution is altered in lem-3 single mutants or in combination with mus-81 or slx-4 mutations, indicating that LEM-3 drives NCO outcome. Finally, we found persistent chromatin bridges during meiotic divisions in lem-3; slx-4 double mutants. Supported by the localization of LEM-3 between dividing meiotic nuclei, this data suggests that LEM-3 is able to process erroneous recombination intermediates that persist into the second meiotic divisions.Author SummaryMeiotic recombination is required for genetic diversity and for the proper chromosome segregation. Recombination intermediates, such as Holliday junctions (HJs), are generated and eventually resolved to produce crossover (CO) and non-crossover (NCO). While an excess of meiotic double-strand breaks is generated, most breaks are repaired without leading to a CO outcome and usually only one break for each chromosome pair matures into a CO-designated site in Caenorhabditis elegans. Resolution of meiotic recombination intermediates and CO formation have been reported to be highly regulated by several structure-specific endonucleases and the Bloom helicase. However, little is known about enzymes involved in the NCO recombination intermediate resolution. In this study, we found that a conserved nuclease LEM-3/Ankle1 acts in parallel to the SLX-1/MUS-81 pathway to process meiotic recombination intermediates. Mutation of lem-3 has no effect on CO frequency and distribution, indicating LEM-3 functions as a nuclease promoting NCO outcome. Interestingly, a prominent localization of LEM-3 is found between dividing meiotic nuclei. We provide evidence that LEM-3 is also involved in processing remaining, erroneous recombination intermediates during meiotic divisions.

scholarly journals Multiple Subunits of the Caenorhabditis elegans Anaphase-Promoting Complex Are Required for Chromosome Segregation During Meiosis I

Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 805-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward S Davis ◽  
Lucia Wille ◽  
Barry A Chestnut ◽  
Penny L Sadler ◽  
Diane C Shakes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Interference ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Sister Chromatid ◽  
Sister Chromatid Cohesion ◽  
Anaphase Promoting Complex ◽  
Genetic Screens ◽  
Chromatid Cohesion ◽  
Interference Studies ◽  
Meiosis I

Abstract Two genes, originally identified in genetic screens for Caenorhabditis elegans mutants that arrest in metaphase of meiosis I, prove to encode subunits of the anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C). RNA interference studies reveal that these and other APC/C subunits are essential for the segregation of chromosomal homologs during meiosis I. Further, chromosome segregation during meiosis I requires APC/C functions in addition to the release of sister chromatid cohesion.

scholarly journals Functional Analysis of Kinetochore Assembly in Caenorhabditis elegans

2001 ◽  
Vol 153 (6) ◽  
pp. 1209-1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Oegema ◽  
Arshad Desai ◽  
Sonja Rybina ◽  
Matthew Kirkham ◽  
Anthony A. Hyman
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Mitotic Chromosome ◽  
Mitotic Chromosomes ◽  
Cell Stage ◽  
Kinetochore Assembly ◽  
Chromosomal Passenger ◽  
Complete Failure ◽  
Spindle Microtubules ◽  
The One

In all eukaryotes, segregation of mitotic chromosomes requires their interaction with spindle microtubules. To dissect this interaction, we use live and fixed assays in the one-cell stage Caenorhabditis elegans embryo. We compare the consequences of depleting homologues of the centromeric histone CENP-A, the kinetochore structural component CENP-C, and the chromosomal passenger protein INCENP. Depletion of either CeCENP-A or CeCENP-C results in an identical “kinetochore null” phenotype, characterized by complete failure of mitotic chromosome segregation as well as failure to recruit other kinetochore components and to assemble a mechanically stable spindle. The similarity of their depletion phenotypes, combined with a requirement for CeCENP-A to localize CeCENP-C but not vice versa, suggest that a key step in kinetochore assembly is the recruitment of CENP-C by CENP-A–containing chromatin. Parallel analysis of CeINCENP-depleted embryos revealed mitotic chromosome segregation defects different from those observed in the absence of CeCENP-A/C. Defects are observed before and during anaphase, but the chromatin separates into two equivalently sized masses. Mechanically stable spindles assemble that show defects later in anaphase and telophase. Furthermore, kinetochore assembly and the recruitment of CeINCENP to chromosomes are independent. These results suggest distinct roles for the kinetochore and the chromosomal passengers in mitotic chromosome segregation.

Mammalian recombination-repair genes XRCC2 and XRCC3 promote correct chromosome segregation

2000 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 757-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol S. Griffin ◽  
Paul J. Simpson ◽  
Caroline R. Wilson ◽  
John Thacker
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Recombination Repair ◽  
Repair Genes

scholarly journals A Spindle Checkpoint Functions during Mitosis in the Early Caenorhabditis elegans Embryo

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 1056-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra E. Encalada ◽  
John Willis ◽  
Rebecca Lyczak ◽  
Bruce Bowerman
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Spindle Checkpoint ◽  
Metaphase Plate ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Embryonic Cells ◽  
Mitotic Spindles ◽  
Animal Cells ◽  
Dividing Cells

During mitosis, chromosome segregation is regulated by a spindle checkpoint mechanism. This checkpoint delays anaphase until all kinetochores are captured by microtubules from both spindle poles, chromosomes congress to the metaphase plate, and the tension between kinetochores and their attached microtubules is properly sensed. Although the spindle checkpoint can be activated in many different cell types, the role of this regulatory mechanism in rapidly dividing embryonic animal cells has remained controversial. Here, using time-lapse imaging of live embryonic cells, we show that chemical or mutational disruption of the mitotic spindle in early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos delays progression through mitosis. By reducing the function of conserved checkpoint genes in mutant embryos with defective mitotic spindles, we show that these delays require the spindle checkpoint. In the absence of a functional checkpoint, more severe defects in chromosome segregation are observed in mutants with abnormal mitotic spindles. We also show that the conserved kinesin CeMCAK, the CENP-F-related proteins HCP-1 and HCP-2, and the core kinetochore protein CeCENP-C all are required for this checkpoint. Our analysis indicates that spindle checkpoint mechanisms are functional in the rapidly dividing cells of an early animal embryo and that this checkpoint can prevent chromosome segregation defects during mitosis.

scholarly journals Multiple Genetic Pathways Involving the Caenorhabditis elegans Bloom's Syndrome Genes him-6, rad-51, and top-3 Are Needed To Maintain Genome Stability in the Germ Line

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 5016-5027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantal Wicky ◽  
Arno Alpi ◽  
Myriam Passannante ◽  
Ann Rose ◽  
Anton Gartner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Germ Cells ◽  
Meiotic Recombination ◽  
Germ Line ◽  
Genetic Interaction ◽  
Double Strand Breaks ◽  
Mitotic Catastrophe ◽  
Bloom's Syndrome ◽  
Strand Breaks ◽  
Bloom’S Syndrome

ABSTRACT Bloom's syndrome (BS) is an autosomal-recessive human disorder caused by mutations in the BS RecQ helicase and is associated with loss of genomic integrity and an increased incidence of cancer. We analyzed the mitotic and the meiotic roles of Caenorhabditis elegans him-6, which we show to encode the ortholog of the human BS gene. Mutations in him-6 result in an enhanced irradiation sensitivity, a partially defective S-phase checkpoint, and in reduced levels of DNA-damage induced apoptosis. Furthermore, him-6 mutants exhibit a decreased frequency of meiotic recombination that is probably due to a defect in the progression of crossover recombination. In mitotically proliferating germ cells, our genetic interaction studies, as well as the assessment of the number of double-strand breaks via RAD-51 foci, reveal a complex regulatory network that is different from the situation in yeast. Although the number of double-strand breaks in him-6 and top-3 single mutants is elevated, the combined depletion of him-6 and top-3 leads to mitotic catastrophe concomitant with a massive increase in the level of double-strand breaks, a phenotype that is completely suppressed by rad-51. him-6 and top-3 are thus needed to maintain low levels of double-strand breaks in normally proliferating germ cells, and both act in partial redundant pathways downstream of rad-51 to prevent mitotic catastrophy. Finally, we show that topoisomerase IIIα acts independently during a late stage of meiotic recombination.

scholarly journals The aurora kinase AIR-2 functions in the release of chromosome cohesion in Caenorhabditis elegans meiosis

2002 ◽  
Vol 157 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Rogers ◽  
John D. Bishop ◽  
James A. Waddle ◽  
Jill M. Schumacher ◽  
Rueyling Lin
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Aurora Kinase ◽  
Aurora B ◽  
Localization Pattern ◽  
Meiotic Chromosomes ◽  
Sister Chromatids ◽  
Chromosome Separation ◽  
Major Amino Acid

Accurate chromosome segregation during cell division requires not only the establishment, but also the precise, regulated release of chromosome cohesion. Chromosome dynamics during meiosis are more complicated, because homologues separate at anaphase I whereas sister chromatids remain attached until anaphase II. How the selective release of chromosome cohesion is regulated during meiosis remains unclear. We show that the aurora-B kinase AIR-2 regulates the selective release of chromosome cohesion during Caenorhabditis elegans meiosis. AIR-2 localizes to subchromosomal regions corresponding to last points of contact between homologues in metaphase I and between sister chromatids in metaphase II. Depletion of AIR-2 by RNA interference (RNAi) prevents chromosome separation at both anaphases, with concomitant prevention of meiotic cohesin REC-8 release from meiotic chromosomes. We show that AIR-2 phosphorylates REC-8 at a major amino acid in vitro. Interestingly, depletion of two PP1 phosphatases, CeGLC-7α and CeGLC-7β, abolishes the restricted localization pattern of AIR-2. In Ceglc-7α/β(RNAi) embryos, AIR-2 is detected on the entire bivalent. Concurrently, chromosomal REC-8 is dramatically reduced and sister chromatids are separated precociously at anaphase I in Ceglc-7α/β(RNAi) embryos. We propose that AIR-2 promotes the release of chromosome cohesion via phosphorylation of REC-8 at specific chromosomal locations and that CeGLC-7α/β, directly or indirectly, antagonize AIR-2 activity.

scholarly journals A compartmentalized signaling network mediates crossover control in meiosis

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liangyu Zhang ◽  
Simone Köhler ◽  
Regina Rillo-Bohn ◽  
Abby F Dernburg
Keyword(s):  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Symmetry Breaking ◽  
Synaptonemal Complex ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Ring Finger ◽  
Homologous Chromosomes ◽  
Crossover Interference ◽  
Ring Finger Proteins

During meiosis, each pair of homologous chromosomes typically undergoes at least one crossover (crossover assurance), but these exchanges are strictly limited in number and widely spaced along chromosomes (crossover interference). The molecular basis for this chromosome-wide regulation remains mysterious. A family of meiotic RING finger proteins has been implicated in crossover regulation across eukaryotes. Caenorhabditis elegans expresses four such proteins, of which one (ZHP-3) is known to be required for crossovers. Here we investigate the functions of ZHP-1, ZHP-2, and ZHP-4. We find that all four ZHP proteins, like their homologs in other species, localize to the synaptonemal complex, an unusual, liquid crystalline compartment that assembles between paired homologs. Together they promote accumulation of pro-crossover factors, including ZHP-3 and ZHP-4, at a single recombination intermediate, thereby patterning exchanges along paired chromosomes. These proteins also act at the top of a hierarchical, symmetry-breaking process that enables crossovers to direct accurate chromosome segregation.

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