Saccharomyces cerevisiae CSM1 gene encoding a protein influencing chromosome segregation in meiosis I interacts with elements of the DNA replication complex

We present the characteristics of the Csm1 (Spo86) protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that are important for meiotic division. The level of Csm1p does not change throughout the cell cycle, but this protein is absent in mature spores. Deletion of CSM1 causes incorrect spore formation and meiotic chromosome missegregation together with increased sensitivity of vegetative cells to benomyl and manganese. In a two-hybrid analysis with Csm1p as bait, we detected interactions with three members of the Mcm2-7 family of proteins involved in the initiation of DNA replication, and with Clf1p also implicated in replication. The Csm1p-Mcm3, Mcm5 and Mcm7p interactions were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Three other interacting proteins, Mgs1p, Ulp2, and Plp2, participate in chromosome assembling and segregation, whereas the function of two others has not been established. Genetic experiments showed that the two-hybrid isolates MGS1, CLF1, MCM3, 5, 7 (CDC47), and YDL089w, when overexpressed, partially suppress the csm1Delta/csm1Delta sporulation defect. We propose that, besides its other functions, Csm1p may be involved in premeiotic DNA replication.