TY - JOUR
T1 - Progression of meiotic recombination requires structural maturation of the central element of the synaptonemal complex
AU - Hamer, Geert
AU - Wang, Hong
AU - Bolcun-Filas, Ewelina
AU - Cooke, Howard J.
AU - Benavente, Ricardo
AU - Höög, Christer
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - The synaptonemal complex is an elaborate meiosis-specific supramolecular protein assembly that promotes chromosome synapsis and meiotic recombination. We inactivated the meiosis-specific gene Tex12 and found that TEX12 is essential for progression of meiosis in both male and female germ cells. Structural analysis of the synaptonemal complex in Tex12-/- meiocytes revealed a disrupted central element structure, a dense structure residing between the synapsed homologous chromosomes. Chromosome synapsis is initiated at multiple positions along the paired homologous chromosomes in Tex12-/- meiotic cells, but fails to propagate along the chromosomes. Furthermore, although meiotic recombination is initiated in Tex12-/- meiotic cells, these early recombination events do not develop into meiotic crossovers. Hence, the mere initiation of synapsis is not sufficient to support meiotic crossing-over. Our results show that TEX12 is a component of the central element structure of the synaptonemal complex required for propagation of synapsis along the paired homologous chromosomes and maturation of early recombination events into crossovers
AB - The synaptonemal complex is an elaborate meiosis-specific supramolecular protein assembly that promotes chromosome synapsis and meiotic recombination. We inactivated the meiosis-specific gene Tex12 and found that TEX12 is essential for progression of meiosis in both male and female germ cells. Structural analysis of the synaptonemal complex in Tex12-/- meiocytes revealed a disrupted central element structure, a dense structure residing between the synapsed homologous chromosomes. Chromosome synapsis is initiated at multiple positions along the paired homologous chromosomes in Tex12-/- meiotic cells, but fails to propagate along the chromosomes. Furthermore, although meiotic recombination is initiated in Tex12-/- meiotic cells, these early recombination events do not develop into meiotic crossovers. Hence, the mere initiation of synapsis is not sufficient to support meiotic crossing-over. Our results show that TEX12 is a component of the central element structure of the synaptonemal complex required for propagation of synapsis along the paired homologous chromosomes and maturation of early recombination events into crossovers
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.033233
DO - https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.033233
M3 - Article
C2 - 18611960
SN - 0021-9533
VL - 121
SP - 2445
EP - 2451
JO - Journal of Cell Science
JF - Journal of Cell Science
IS - Part 15
ER -