对减数分裂的新理解

减数分裂历来被认为是：同源染色体联会－重组－分离。染色体配对是其中最早的事件,配对又叫联会,联会由联会复合体（ＳＣ）引起或促进。联会复合体又是减数分裂重组所必需的。重组引起细胞学上可见的交叉,能够确保同源染色体分离。这些经典观点在９０年代受到了严重挑战,对减数分裂的许多新理解正在取而代之。按照新观点,减数分裂的过程可以用下图表示。１　同源性搜索是减数分裂的第一步减数分裂最早的事件不是同源染色体的配对,其前在细线期还发生了同源性搜索。它是在全染色体组内识别染色体上同源性位点的过程。搜索不仅仅限于染…     

联会复合体:减数分裂的结构基础

减数分裂是有性生殖生物产生单倍体配子的特殊分裂方式,其第一次分裂(减数分裂I)过程中同源染色体的行为是最突出的特征。在减数分裂I,同源染色体间形成的联会复合体通过促进和调控程序性DNA双链断裂的形成和修复,确保同源染色体正确的识别、配对、重组和分离,从而为减数分裂I的顺利完成提供保障。本综述对联会复合体的组成和功能研究进展进行了回顾,探讨了联会复合体的组装如何影响程序性DNA双链断裂的修复和交叉互换的形成,并总结了与人类生殖障碍相关的联会复合体成分突变,还对该领域未来研究方向进行了展望。     

减数分裂染色体的行为及其分子基础

减数分裂是有性生殖生物配子产生的必需过程.在细胞进入减数分裂前,其染色体复制1次,但启动分裂后,细胞进行二次分裂,从而产生染色体数目减半的配子.减数分裂Ⅰ前期同源染色体的配对、联会、重组以及减数分裂Ⅰ后期同源染色体的分离是减数分裂的基本特征,而这些减数分裂特异事件的按时、依序发生则有赖于减数分裂Ⅰ前期程序性D N A双链断裂(D S B)的产生和以同源染色体为模板进行的同源重组修复.本文将对减数分裂特别是减数分裂Ⅰ前期染色体的行为进行简要综述,并就其分子基础和机制进行分析讨论.     

联会复合体——原发无精症发病中的重要角色

联会复合体(synaptonemal complex,SC)是一种减数分裂特异性超分子蛋白质结构,与减数分裂I(改罗文)中同源染色体的凝缩、配对、重组和分离密切相关。近年来,联会复合体的研究取得了一系列重要的进展,包括在其组成成分和功能上的一些新发现。在小鼠不育模型中联会复合体及其编码基因的异常可引起精子发生障碍。更重要的是,联会复合体编码基因之一SCP3单个碱基缺失导致的无精症已在人类原发不育患者中得到证实。对联会复合体基因SCP1的进一步研究也正在进行之中。      

组蛋白翻译后修饰在减数分裂中作用机制的研究进展

减数分裂是有性生殖生物产生单倍体配子和遗传多样性的基础。在这一过程中,DNA复制一次,细胞连续分裂两次,形成四个染色体数目为母细胞一半的配子。在减数分裂前期,同源染色体依次进行配对、联会、重组和分离,亲本的染色体被正确分配到配子中,实现遗传物质在生物世代间的稳定传递。组蛋白翻译后修饰是重要的表观遗传调控机制之一,包括组蛋白甲基化(methylation, me)、酰基化(acylation, ac)、磷酸化(phosphorylation, ph)、泛素化(ubiquitination,ub)等。组蛋白修饰的建立、识别、擦除以及不同组蛋白修饰间的交叉会话揭示了一种“组蛋白密码”,参与了DNA复制、损伤修复、基因表达和染色质构象改变,在减数分裂多个阶段发挥重要作用。该文综述了近年来对组蛋白翻译后修饰参与减数分裂重要生物学事件的研究进展,并为后续研究内容和方向提供了新的见解。     

重组酶RAD51和DMC1功能保守和分化研究进展

减数分裂(meiosis)是有性生殖细胞中发生的特殊分裂方式,在这个过程中DNA复制一次,细胞核分裂两次,最终产生单倍体的配子。雌雄配子融合后基因组又恢复到二倍体水平,不仅保证了有性生殖过程中世代间基因组的稳定性,还导致后代的遗传多样性。减数分裂同源重组(homologous recombination,HR)是其前期I的核心事件之一,它不仅保证了后续同源染色体的正确分离,而且允许同源染色体之间遗传信息发生交换,增加了后代的遗传多样性。RAD51 (RADiation sensitive 51)和DMC1 (disruption Meiotic cDNA 1)是HR过程中必需的重组酶,二者有一定的共性和特性。本文从起源、进化、结构和功能等方面总结并比较了它们间的保守和分化,并对未来的研究方向提出了展望,为进一步深入研究减数分裂的重组机制提供了借鉴。     

减数分裂型黏连蛋白RAD21L的作用机制

减数分裂是在有性生殖过程中高度专业化的真核细胞分裂。在减数分裂过程中,DNA复制一次,细胞连续分裂两次,子细胞染色体数目减半。在减数第一次分裂过程中为确保同源染色体正确分离,必须通过同源染色体配对、联会及重组等减数分裂特异性染色体运动。如果其中任一运动发生异常会导致先天性疾病或不孕不育症。因此,了解这些减数分裂型染色体的运动机制极为重要。该综述重点探讨了减数分裂型黏连蛋白RAD21L的特殊作用及其在哺乳动物减数分裂过程中对染色体运动的调控机制。     

植物减数分裂中的染色体配对、联会和重组研究进展

减数分裂是有性生殖的关键步骤,而染色体配对、联会和重组又是减数分裂的重要环节,也是减数分裂研究的热点之一。近些年来,借助于先进的分子生物学和细胞学技术,通过大量突变体的筛选,在植物减数分裂中染色体的配对、联会和重组研究取得了长足的进展。文章就目前克隆的植物减数分裂中染色体配对、联会和重组相关的基因及功能研究进行了总结,并进一步对其分子机制进行了探讨。     

雌核发育二倍体鲫鲤Dmc1基因的全长cDNA克隆及表达分析

Dmc1（disrupted meiotic cDNA）基因是一个在减数分裂前期Ⅰ表达的特异基因,其产物是减数分裂前期Ⅰ同源染色体配对所必需的。根据据酵母菌、小鼠以及人的DMC1中保守的氨基酸基序设计简并引物,PCR扩增克隆获得了第四代雌核发育二倍体鲫鲤（G4）Dmc1基因部分cDNA序列。在此基础上,通过RACE获得了G4Dmc1基因全长cDNA序列,长度为1369bp,其中开放阅读框为1029bp,编码含342个氨基酸的蛋白质。同时,系统进化分析表明,在进化过程中Dmc1基因在鱼类中保持着高度保守的进化特征。RT-PCR结果表明,Dmc1基因只在G4性腺中表达,在其他组织中不表达。通过实时荧光定量PCR,对Dmc1基因在G4和普通鲤鱼的早期卵巢的表达进行分析,发现G4表达比鲤鱼高。由此可见,雌核发育二倍体鲫鲤Dmc1基因也是减数分裂特异基因,而且其高表达暗示雌核发育二倍体鲫鲤具有正常的减数分裂过程并且其早期性腺存在着多倍体卵原细胞。     

联会复合体的组成、功能及遗传控制

在多数有性生殖生物中, 减数分裂第一次分裂前期同源染色体间会形成一种复杂的超级蛋白结构--联会复合体(Synaptonemal complex, SC)。该结构与同源染色体间的配对、联会、交换、分离等过程密切相关。若其出现异常, 将可导致性母细胞大量凋亡, 宏观上即表现为生物个体不育。近年来, 该结构已成为减数分裂研究领域的一个热点, 但其控制机理至今所知还十分有限。文章对联会复合体的组成、功能及其遗传控制等情况进行概述, 并对其未来的研究进行探讨和展望。     

The Hop2 and Mnd1 proteins act in concert with Rad51 and Dmc1 in meiotic recombination

During the first meiotic division, homologous chromosomes (homologs) have to separate to opposite poles of the cell to ensure the right complement in the progeny. Homologous recombination provides a mechanism for a genome-wide homology search and physical linkage among the homologs before their orderly segregation. Rad51 and Dmc1 recombinases are the major players in these processes. Disruption of meiosis-specific HOP2 or MND1 genes leads to severe defects in homologous synapsis and an early-stage recombination failure resulting in sterility. Here we show that mouse Hop2 can efficiently form D-loops, the first recombination intermediates, but this activity is abrogated upon association with Mnd1. Furthermore, the Hop2-Mnd1 heterodimer physically interacts with Rad51 and Dmc1 recombinases and stimulates their activity up to 35-fold. Our data reveal an interplay among Hop2, Mnd1 and Rad51 and Dmc1 in the formation of the first recombination intermediates during meiosis.     

AtMND1 is required for homologous pairing during meiosis in Arabidopsis

Background  

Pairing of homologous chromosomes at meiosis is an important requirement for recombination and balanced chromosome segregation among the products of meiotic division. Recombination is initiated by double strand breaks (DSBs) made by Spo11 followed by interaction of DSB sites with a homologous chromosome. This interaction requires the strand exchange proteins Rad51 and Dmc1 that bind to single stranded regions created by resection of ends at the site of DSBs and promote interactions with uncut DNA on the homologous partner. Recombination is also considered to be dependent on factors that stabilize interactions between homologous chromosomes. In budding yeast Hop2 and Mnd1 act as a complex to promote homologous pairing and recombination in conjunction with Rad51 and Dmc1.     

Molecular activities of meiosis-specific proteins Hop2, Mnd1, and the Hop2-Mnd1 complex

The mouse Hop2 and Mnd1 proteins, which can form a stable heterodimeric complex, ensure the proper synapsis of homologous chromosomes in meiosis by acting in concert with Rad51 and Dmc1 to promote the strand invasion (D-loop formation) step of homologous recombination. Hop2 alone promotes D-loop formation, but Mnd1 and the Hop2-Mnd1 complex do not. Here we show that only the heterodimer complex, but not the individual proteins, can stimulate strand invasion by Dmc1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the interaction with Mnd1 provokes changes in Hop2 that are responsible not only for abrogating the recombinase activity of Hop2 but also for generating a new molecular interface able to physically interact with and stimulate Dmc1. We also show that coiled-coil motifs in Hop2 and Mnd1 are essential for their interaction with each other and that a clearly delineated region near the COOH terminus of both proteins is necessary for both the DNA binding and single-strand annealing by the Hop-Mnd1 heterodimer. Finally, we describe a point mutation in Hop2 that dissociates its strand invasion activity from its ability to bind and anneal DNA.     

Stimulation of DNA strand exchange by the human TBPIP/Hop2-Mnd1 complex

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Hop2 protein forms a complex with the Mnd1 protein and is required for the alignment of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, probably through extensive homology matching between them. The Rad51 and Dmc1 proteins, the eukaryotic RecA orthologs, promote strand exchange and may function in the extensive matching of homology within paired DNA molecules. In the present study, we purified the human TBPIP/Hop2-Mnd1 complex and found that it significantly stimulates the Dmc1- and Rad51-mediated strand exchange. The human Hop2-Mnd1 complex preferentially binds to a three-stranded DNA branch, which mimics the strand-exchange intermediate. These findings are consistent with genetic data, which showed that the Hop2 and Mnd1 proteins are required for homology matching between homologous chromosomes. Therefore, the human TBPIP/Hop2-Mnd1 complex may ensure proper pairing between homologous chromosomes through its stimulation of strand exchange during meiosis.     

The Mnd1 protein forms a complex with hop2 to promote homologous chromosome pairing and meiotic double-strand break repair

The hop2 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae arrests in meiosis with extensive synaptonemal complex (SC) formation between nonhomologous chromosomes. A screen for multicopy suppressors of a hop2-ts allele identified the MND1 gene. The mnd1-null mutant arrests in meiotic prophase, with most double-strand breaks (DSBs) unrepaired. A low level of mature recombinants is produced, and the Rad51 protein accumulates at numerous foci along chromosomes. SC formation is incomplete, and homolog pairing is severely reduced. The Mnd1 protein localizes to chromatin throughout meiotic prophase, and this localization requires Hop2. Unlike recombination enzymes such as Rad51, Mnd1 localizes to chromosomes even in mutants that fail to initiate meiotic recombination. The Hop2 and Mnd1 proteins coimmunoprecipitate from meiotic cell extracts. These results suggest that Hop2 and Mnd1 work as a complex to promote meiotic chromosome pairing and DSB repair. The identification of Hop2 and Mnd1 homologs in other organisms suggests that the function of this complex is conserved among eukaryotes.     

Three Distinct Modes of Mec1/ATR and Tel1/ATM Activation Illustrate Differential Checkpoint Targeting during Budding Yeast Early Meiosis

Recombination and synapsis of homologous chromosomes are hallmarks of meiosis in many organisms. Meiotic recombination is initiated by Spo11-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), whereas chromosome synapsis is mediated by a tripartite structure named the synaptonemal complex (SC). Previously, we proposed that budding yeast SC is assembled via noncovalent interactions between the axial SC protein Red1, SUMO chains or conjugates, and the central SC protein Zip1. Incomplete synapsis and unrepaired DNA are monitored by Mec1/Tel1-dependent checkpoint responses that prevent exit from the pachytene stage. Here, our results distinguished three distinct modes of Mec1/Tec1 activation during early meiosis that led to phosphorylation of three targets, histone H2A at S129 (γH2A), Hop1, and Zip1, which are involved, respectively, in DNA replication, the interhomolog recombination and chromosome synapsis checkpoint, and destabilization of homology-independent centromere pairing. γH2A phosphorylation is Red1 independent and occurs prior to Spo11-induced DSBs. DSB- and Red1-dependent Hop1 phosphorylation is activated via interaction of the Red1-SUMO chain/conjugate ensemble with the Ddc1-Rad17-Mec3 (9-1-1) checkpoint complex and the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 complex. During SC assembly, Zip1 outcompetes 9-1-1 from the Red1-SUMO chain ensemble to attenuate Hop1 phosphorylation. In contrast, chromosome synapsis cannot attenuate DSB-dependent and Red1-independent Zip1 phosphorylation. These results reveal how DNA replication, DSB repair, and chromosome synapsis are differentially monitored by the meiotic checkpoint network.     

Mnd1/Hop2 facilitates Dmc1-dependent interhomolog crossover formation in meiosis of budding yeast

During meiosis, each chromosome must pair with its homolog and undergo meiotic crossover recombination in order to segregate properly at the first meiotic division. Recombination in meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae relies on two Escherichia coli recA homologs, Rad51 and Dmc1, as well as the more recently discovered heterodimer Mnd1/Hop2. Meiotic recombination in S. cerevisiae mnd1 and hop2 single mutants is initiated via double-strand breaks (DSBs) but does not progress beyond this stage; heteroduplex DNA, joint molecules, and crossovers are not detected. Whereas hop2 and mnd1 single mutants are profoundly recombination defective, we show that mnd1 rad51, hop2 rad51, and mnd1 rad17 double mutants are able to carry out crossover recombination. Interestingly, noncrossover recombination is absent, indicating a role for Mnd1/Hop2 in the designation of DSBs for noncrossover recombination. We demonstrate that in the rad51 mnd1 double mutant, recombination is more likely to occur between repetitive sequences on nonhomologous chromosomes. Our results support a model in which Mnd1/Hop2 is required for DNA-DNA interactions that help ensure Dmc1-mediated stable strand invasion between homologous chromosomes, thereby preserving genomic integrity.     

Recruitment of RecA homologs Dmc1p and Rad51p to the double-strand break repair site initiated by meiosis-specific endonuclease VDE (PI-SceI)

During meiosis, VDE (PI-SceI), a homing endonuclease in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, introduces a double-strand break (DSB) at its recognition sequence and induces homologous recombinational repair, called homing. Meiosis-specific RecA homolog Dmc1p, as well as mitotic RecA homolog Rad51p, acts in the process of meiotic recombination, being required for strand invasion and exchange. In this study, recruitment of Dmc1p and Rad51p to the VDE-induced DSB repair site is investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. It is revealed that Dmc1p and Rad51p are loaded to the repair site in an independent manner. Association of Rad51p requires other DSB repair proteins of Rad52p, Rad55p, and Rad57p, while loading of Dmc1p is facilitated by the different protein, Sae3p. Absence of Tid1p, which can bind both RecA homologs, appears specifically to cause an abnormal distribution of Dmc1p. Lack of Hop2, Mnd1p, and Sae1p does not impair recruitment of both RecA homologs. These findings reveal the discrete functions of each strand invasion protein in VDE-initiated homing, confirm the similarity between VDE-initiated homing and Spo11p-initiated meiotic recombination, and demonstrate the availability of VDE-initiated homing for the study of meiotic recombination.     

The Arabidopsis homologue of Xrcc3 plays an essential role in meiosis

The eukaryotic RecA homologue Rad51 is a key factor in homologous recombination and recombinational repair. Rad51-like proteins have been identified from yeast (Rad55, Rad57 and Dmc1) to vertebrates (Rad51B, Rad51C, Rad51D, Xrcc2, Xrcc3 and Dmc1). These Rad51-like proteins are all members of the genetic recombination and DNA damage repair pathways. The sequenced genome of Arabidopsis thaliana encodes putative homologues of all six vertebrate Rad51-like proteins. We have identified and characterized an Arabidopsis mutant defective for one of these, AtXRCC3, the homologue of XRCC3. atxrcc3 plants are sterile, while they have normal vegetative development. Cytological observation shows that the atxrcc3 mutation does not affect homologous chromosome synapsis, but leads to chromosome fragmentation after pachytene, thus disrupting both male and female gametogenesis. This study shows an essential role for AtXrcc3 in meiosis in plants and possibly in other higher eukaryotes. Furthermore, atxrcc3 cells and plants are hypersensitive to DNA-damaging treatments, supporting the involvement of this Arabidopsis Rad51-like protein in recombinational repair.     

Chromosome synapsis defects and sexually dimorphic meiotic progression in mice lacking Spo11

Spo11, a protein first identified in yeast, is thought to generate the chromosome breaks that initiate meiotic recombination. We now report that disruption of mouse Spo11 leads to severe gonadal abnormalities from defective meiosis. Spermatocytes suffer apoptotic death during early prophase; oocytes reach the diplotene/dictyate stage in nearly normal numbers, but most die soon after birth. Consistent with a conserved function in initiating meiotic recombination, Dmc1/Rad51 focus formation is abolished. Spo11(-/-) meiocytes also display homologous chromosome synapsis defects, similar to fungi but distinct from flies and nematodes. We propose that recombination initiation precedes and is required for normal synapsis in mammals. Our results also support the view that mammalian checkpoint responses to meiotic recombination and/or synapsis defects are sexually dimorphic.