Despite the universal importance of meiotic recombination for generating genetic diversity, numbers and distribution of recombination events along chromosomes vary among species, genotypes within species, and between sexes. Some interspecies differences stem from the diversity of genome size and composition among eukaryotes. Large-genome species, such as humans and most crops, display recombination landscapes that are different from those of small-genome yeasts. Chromatin patterns, including histone modifications and DNA methylation, are also responsible for interspecies differences as well as differences between the sexes. Finally, despite the overall recombination pathway conservation, there are species-specific components that result in distinct recombination patterns. Consequently, characteristics that are defining for the recombination landscape and universally shared by all eukaryotes remain largely to be discovered.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tig.2019.02.002 | DOI Listing |
Plant Physiol
December 2024
Arameiosis Lab, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan 430074, China.
Heat interferes with multiple meiotic processes, leading to genome instability and sterility in flowering plants, including many crops. Despite its importance for food security, the mechanisms underlying heat tolerance of meiosis are poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed different meiotic processes in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions Columbia (Col) and Landsberg erecta (Ler), their F1 hybrids, and the F2 offspring under heat stress (37°C).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
November 2024
Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica, IBFG, CSIC-USAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
The cell cycle, essential for growth, reproduction, and genetic stability, is regulated by a complex network of cyclins, Cyclin-Dependent Kinases (CDKs), phosphatases, and checkpoints that ensure accurate cell division. CDKs and phosphatases are crucial for controlling cell cycle progression, with CDKs promoting it and phosphatases counteracting their activity to maintain balance. The nucleolus, as a biomolecular condensate, plays a key regulatory role by serving as a hub for ribosome biogenesis and the sequestration and release of various cell cycle regulators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrends Genet
December 2024
Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. Electronic address:
Meiotic cells introduce numerous programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) into their genome to stimulate crossover recombination. DSB numbers must be high enough to ensure each homologous chromosome pair receives the obligate crossover required for accurate meiotic chromosome segregation. However, every DSB also increases the risk of aberrant or incomplete DNA repair, and thus genome instability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Biotechnol J
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
The interaction dynamics of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, such as recognition, pairing, synapsis, recombination, and segregation are vital for species fertility and genetic diversity within populations. Meiotic crossover (CO), a prominent feature of meiosis, ensures the faithful segregation of homologous chromosomes and enriches genetic diversity within a population. Nevertheless, visually distinguishing homologous chromosomes and COs remains an intractable challenge in cytological studies, particularly in non-model or plants with small genomes, limiting insights into meiotic dynamics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNucleic Acids Res
December 2024
Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
Double-strand breaks (DSBs) are a formidable threat to genome integrity, potentially leading to cancer and various genetic diseases. The prolonged lifespan of mammalian oocytes increases their susceptibility to DNA damage over time. While somatic cells suppress DSB repair during mitosis, oocytes exhibit a remarkable capacity to repair DSBs during meiotic maturation.
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