1
|
Bereda CC, Dewey EB, Nasr MA, Sekelsky J. Functions of the Bloom Syndrome Helicase N-terminal Intrinsically Disordered Region. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.12.589165. [PMID: 38659896 PMCID: PMC11042211 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.12.589165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Bloom Syndrome helicase (Blm) is a RecQ family helicase involved in DNA repair, cell-cycle progression, and development. Pathogenic variants in human BLM cause the autosomal recessive disorder Bloom Syndrome, characterized by predisposition to numerous types of cancer. Prior studies of Drosophila Blm mutants lacking helicase activity or protein have shown sensitivity to DNA damaging agents, defects in repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), female sterility, and improper segregation of chromosomes in meiosis. Blm orthologs have a well conserved and highly structured RecQ helicase domain, but more than half of the protein, particularly in the N-terminus, is predicted to be unstructured. Because this region is poorly conserved across multicellular organisms, we compared closely related species to identify regions of conservation, potentially indicating important functions. We deleted two of these Drosophila-conserved regions in D. melanogaster using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and assessed the effects on different Blm functions. Each deletion had distinct effects on different Blm activities. Deletion of either conserved region 1 (CR1) or conserved region 2 (CR2) compromised DSB repair through synthesis-dependent strand annealing and resulted in increased mitotic crossovers. In contrast, CR2 is critical for embryonic development but CR1 is not as important. CR1 deletion allows for proficient meiotic chromosome segregation but does lead to defects in meiotic crossover designation and patterning. Finally, deletion of CR2 does not lead to significant meiotic defects, indicating that while each region has overlapping functions, there are discreet roles facilitated by each. These results provide novel insights into functions of the N-terminal disordered region of Blm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colleen C. Bereda
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Evan B. Dewey
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Mohamed A. Nasr
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Jeff Sekelsky
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Peters SA, Underwood CJ. Technology-driven approaches for meiosis research in tomato and wild relatives. PLANT REPRODUCTION 2023; 36:97-106. [PMID: 36149478 PMCID: PMC9957858 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-022-00450-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Meiosis is a specialized cell division during reproduction where one round of chromosomal replication is followed by genetic recombination and two rounds of segregation to generate recombined, ploidy-reduced spores. Meiosis is crucial to the generation of new allelic combinations in natural populations and artificial breeding programs. Several plant species are used in meiosis research including the cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) which is a globally important crop species. Here we outline the unique combination of attributes that make tomato a powerful model system for meiosis research. These include the well-characterized behavior of chromosomes during tomato meiosis, readily available genomics resources, capacity for genome editing, clonal propagation techniques, lack of recent polyploidy and the possibility to generate hybrids with twelve related wild species. We propose that further exploitation of genome bioinformatics, genome editing and artificial intelligence in tomato will help advance the field of plant meiosis research. Ultimately this will help address emerging themes including the evolution of meiosis, how recombination landscapes are determined, and the effect of temperature on meiosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sander A Peters
- Business Unit Bioscience, Cluster Applied Bioinformatics, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Charles J Underwood
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Koury S. Mitotic exchange in female germline stem cells is the major source of Sex Ratio chromosome recombination in Drosophila pseudoobscura. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac264. [PMID: 36194019 PMCID: PMC9713450 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Sex Ratio chromosomes in Drosophila pseudoobscura are selfish X chromosome variants associated with 3 nonoverlapping inversions. In the male germline, Sex Ratio chromosomes distort the segregation of X and Y chromosomes (99:1), thereby skewing progeny sex ratio. In the female germline, segregation of Sex Ratio chromosomes is mendelian (50:50), but nonoverlapping inversions strongly suppress recombination establishing a 26-Mb haplotype (constituting ∼20% of the haploid genome). Rare crossover events located between nonoverlapping inversions can disrupt this haplotype, and recombinants have sometimes been found in natural populations. We recently reported on the first lab-generated Sex Ratio recombinants occurring at a rate of 0.0012 crossovers per female meiosis. An improved experimental design presented here reveals that these recombination events were at least 4 times more frequent than previously estimated. Furthermore, recombination events were strongly clustered, indicating that the majority arose from mitotic exchange in female germline stem cells and not from meiotic crossing-over in primary oocytes. Finally, asymmetric recovery of complementary recombinants was consistent with unequal exchange causing the recombination-induced viability defects. Incorporating these experimental results into population models for Sex Ratio chromosome evolution provided a substantially better fit to natural population frequencies and allowed maintenance of the highly differentiated 26-Mb Sex Ratio haplotype without invoking strong epistatic selection. This study provides the first estimate of spontaneous mitotic exchange for naturally occurring chromosomes in Drosophila female germline stem cells, reveals a much higher Sex Ratio chromosome recombination rate, and develops a mathematical model that accurately predicts the rarity of recombinant Sex Ratio chromosomes in natural populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Spencer Koury
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Firlej M, Weir JR. Unwinding during stressful times: Mechanisms of helicases in meiotic recombination. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 151:191-215. [PMID: 36681470 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Successful meiosis I requires that homologous chromosomes be correctly linked before they are segregated. In most organisms this physical linkage is achieved through the generation of crossovers between the homologs. Meiotic recombination co-opts and modifies the canonical homologous recombination pathway to successfully generate crossovers One of the central components of this pathway are a number of conserved DNA helicases. Helicases couple nucleic acid binding to nucleotide hydrolysis and use this activity to modify DNA or protein-DNA substrates. During meiosis I it is necessary for the cell to modulate the canonical DNA repair pathways in order to facilitate the generation of interhomolog crossovers. Many of these meiotic modulations take place in pathways involving DNA helicases, or with a meiosis specific helicase. This short review explores what is currently understood about these helicases, their interaction partners, and the role of regulatory modifications during meiosis I. We focus in particular on the molecular structure and mechanisms of these helicases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Firlej
- Structural Biochemistry of Meiosis Group, Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - John R Weir
- Structural Biochemistry of Meiosis Group, Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Tuebingen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Dello Stritto MR, Vojtassakova N, Velkova M, Hamminger P, Ulm P, Jantsch V. The topoisomerase 3 zinc finger domain cooperates with the RMI1 scaffold to promote stable association of the BTR complex to recombination intermediates in the Caenorhabditis elegans germline. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5652-5671. [PMID: 35639927 PMCID: PMC9178014 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination is the predominant DNA repair pathway used in the gonad. Of the excess DNA double-strand breaks formed in meiosis, only a subset matures into crossovers, with the remainder repaired as non-crossovers. The conserved BTR complex (comprising Bloom helicase, topoisomerase 3 and RMI1/2 scaffold proteins) acts at multiple steps during recombination to dismantle joint DNA molecules, thereby mediating the non-crossover outcome and chromosome integrity. Furthermore, the complex displays a role at the crossover site that is less well understood. Besides catalytic and TOPRIM domains, topoisomerase 3 enzymes contain a variable number of carboxy terminal zinc finger (ZnF) domains. Here, we studied the Caenorhabditis elegans mutant, in which the single ZnF domain is deleted. In contrast to the gene disruption allele, the top-3-ZnF mutant is viable, with no replication defects; the allele appears to be a hypomorph. The TOP-3-ZnF protein is recruited into foci but the mutant has increased numbers of crossovers along its chromosomes, with minor defects in repressing heterologous recombination, and a marked delay in the maturation/processing of recombination intermediates after loading of the RAD-51 recombinase. The ZnF domain cooperates with the RMI1 homolog RMH-2 to stabilize association of the BTR complex with recombination intermediates and to prevent recombination between heterologous DNA sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nina Vojtassakova
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Austria
| | - Maria Velkova
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Austria
| | - Patricia Hamminger
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Austria
| | - Patricia Ulm
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Austria
| | - Verena Jantsch
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Harami GM, Pálinkás J, Seol Y, Kovács ZJ, Gyimesi M, Harami-Papp H, Neuman KC, Kovács M. The toposiomerase IIIalpha-RMI1-RMI2 complex orients human Bloom's syndrome helicase for efficient disruption of D-loops. Nat Commun 2022; 13:654. [PMID: 35115525 PMCID: PMC8813930 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28208-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination (HR) is a ubiquitous and efficient process that serves the repair of severe forms of DNA damage and the generation of genetic diversity during meiosis. HR can proceed via multiple pathways with different outcomes that may aid or impair genome stability and faithful inheritance, underscoring the importance of HR quality control. Human Bloom's syndrome (BLM, RecQ family) helicase plays central roles in HR pathway selection and quality control via unexplored molecular mechanisms. Here we show that BLM's multi-domain structural architecture supports a balance between stabilization and disruption of displacement loops (D-loops), early HR intermediates that are key targets for HR regulation. We find that this balance is markedly shifted toward efficient D-loop disruption by the presence of BLM's interaction partners Topoisomerase IIIα-RMI1-RMI2, which have been shown to be involved in multiple steps of HR-based DNA repair. Our results point to a mechanism whereby BLM can differentially process D-loops and support HR control depending on cellular regulatory mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gábor M Harami
- ELTE-MTA "Momentum" Motor Enzymology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary. .,Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA.
| | - János Pálinkás
- ELTE-MTA "Momentum" Motor Enzymology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Yeonee Seol
- Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - Zoltán J Kovács
- ELTE-MTA "Momentum" Motor Enzymology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Máté Gyimesi
- ELTE-MTA "Momentum" Motor Enzymology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.,MTA-ELTE Motor Pharmacology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Hajnalka Harami-Papp
- ELTE-MTA "Momentum" Motor Enzymology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.,Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - Keir C Neuman
- Laboratory of Single Molecule Biophysics, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - Mihály Kovács
- ELTE-MTA "Momentum" Motor Enzymology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary. .,MTA-ELTE Motor Pharmacology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
OUP accepted manuscript. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:1664-1677. [DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deac092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
8
|
Velkova M, Silva N, Dello Stritto MR, Schleiffer A, Barraud P, Hartl M, Jantsch V. Caenorhabditis elegans RMI2 functional homolog-2 (RMIF-2) and RMI1 (RMH-1) have both overlapping and distinct meiotic functions within the BTR complex. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009663. [PMID: 34252074 PMCID: PMC8318279 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Homologous recombination is a high-fidelity repair pathway for DNA double-strand breaks employed during both mitotic and meiotic cell divisions. Such repair can lead to genetic exchange, originating from crossover (CO) generation. In mitosis, COs are suppressed to prevent sister chromatid exchange. Here, the BTR complex, consisting of the Bloom helicase (HIM-6 in worms), topoisomerase 3 (TOP-3), and the RMI1 (RMH-1 and RMH-2) and RMI2 scaffolding proteins, is essential for dismantling joint DNA molecules to form non-crossovers (NCOs) via decatenation. In contrast, in meiosis COs are essential for accurate chromosome segregation and the BTR complex plays distinct roles in CO and NCO generation at different steps in meiotic recombination. RMI2 stabilizes the RMI1 scaffolding protein, and lack of RMI2 in mitosis leads to elevated sister chromatid exchange, as observed upon RMI1 knockdown. However, much less is known about the involvement of RMI2 in meiotic recombination. So far, RMI2 homologs have been found in vertebrates and plants, but not in lower organisms such as Drosophila, yeast, or worms. We report the identification of the Caenorhabditis elegans functional homolog of RMI2, which we named RMIF-2. The protein shows a dynamic localization pattern to recombination foci during meiotic prophase I and concentration into recombination foci is mutually dependent on other BTR complex proteins. Comparative analysis of the rmif-2 and rmh-1 phenotypes revealed numerous commonalities, including in regulating CO formation and directing COs toward chromosome arms. Surprisingly, the prevalence of heterologous recombination was several fold lower in the rmif-2 mutant, suggesting that RMIF-2 may be dispensable or less strictly required for some BTR complex-mediated activities during meiosis. Bloom syndrome is caused by mutations in proteins of the BTR complex (consisting of the Bloom helicase, topoisomerase 3, and the RMI1 and RMI2 scaffolding proteins) and the clinical characteristics are growth deficiency, short stature, skin photosensitivity, and increased cancer predisposition. At the cellular level, characteristic features are the presence of increased sister chromatid exchange on chromosomes; unresolved DNA recombination intermediates that eventually cause genome instability; and erroneous DNA repair by heterologous recombination (recombination between non-identical sequences, extremely rare in wild type animals), which can trigger translocations and chromosomal rearrangements. Identification of the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of RMI2 (called RMIF-2) allowed us to compare heterologous recombination in the germline of mutants of various BTR complex proteins. The heterologous recombination rate was several fold lower in rmif-2 mutants than in mutants of rmh-1 and him-6 (worm homologs of RMI1 and the Bloom helicase, respectively). Nevertheless, many phenotypic features point at RMIF-2 working together with RMH-1. If these germline functions of RMI2/RMIF-2 are conserved in humans, this might mean that individuals with RMI2 mutations have a lower risk of translocations and genome rearrangements than those with mutations in the other BTR complex genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Velkova
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicola Silva
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Alexander Schleiffer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Campus Vienna BioCenter, Vienna 1, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Campus Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pierre Barraud
- Expression Génétique Microbienne, UMR 8261, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Université de Paris, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France
| | - Markus Hartl
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Jantsch
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Perutz Labs, Vienna BioCenter, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
The formation of crossovers between homologous chromosomes is key to sexual reproduction. In most species, crossovers are spaced further apart than would be expected if they formed independently, a phenomenon termed crossover interference. Despite more than a century of study, the molecular mechanisms implementing crossover interference remain a subject of active debate. Recent findings of how signaling proteins control the formation of crossovers and about the interchromosomal interface in which crossovers form offer new insights into this process. In this Review, we present a cell biological and biophysical perspective on crossover interference, summarizing the evidence that links interference to the spatial, dynamic, mechanical and molecular properties of meiotic chromosomes. We synthesize this physical understanding in the context of prevailing mechanistic models that aim to explain how crossover interference is implemented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lexy von Diezmann
- Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Ofer Rog
- Center for Cell and Genome Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Almanzar DE, Gordon SG, Rog O. Meiotic sister chromatid exchanges are rare in C. elegans. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1499-1507.e3. [PMID: 33740426 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction shuffles the parental genomes to generate new genetic combinations. To achieve that, the genome is subjected to numerous double-strand breaks, the repair of which involves two crucial decisions: repair pathway and repair template.1 Use of crossover pathways with the homologous chromosome as template exchanges genetic information and directs chromosome segregation. Crossover repair, however, can compromise the integrity of the repair template and is therefore tightly regulated. The extent to which crossover pathways are used during sister-directed repair is unclear because the identical sister chromatids are difficult to distinguish. Nonetheless, indirect assays have led to the suggestion that inter-sister crossovers, or sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), are quite common.2-11 Here we devised a technique to directly score physiological SCEs in the C. elegans germline using selective sister chromatid labeling with the thymidine analog 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU). Surprisingly, we find SCEs to be rare in meiosis, accounting for <2% of repair events. SCEs remain rare even when the homologous chromosome is unavailable, indicating that almost all sister-directed repair is channeled into noncrossover pathways. We identify two mechanisms that limit SCEs. First, SCEs are elevated in the absence of the RecQ helicase BLMHIM-6. Second, the synaptonemal complex-a conserved interface that promotes crossover repair12,13-promotes SCEs when localized between the sisters. Our data suggest that crossover pathways in C. elegans are only used to generate the single necessary link between the homologous chromosomes. Noncrossover pathways repair almost all other breaks, regardless of the repair template.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David E Almanzar
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840, USA
| | - Spencer G Gordon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840, USA
| | - Ofer Rog
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
C-Terminal HA Tags Compromise Function and Exacerbate Phenotypes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Bloom's Helicase Homolog Sgs1 SUMOylation-Associated Mutants. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:2811-2818. [PMID: 32540865 PMCID: PMC7407464 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The Sgs1 helicase and Top3-Rmi1 decatenase form a complex that affects homologous recombination outcomes during the mitotic cell cycle and during meiosis. Previous studies have reported that Sgs1-Top3-Rmi1 function is regulated by SUMOylation that is catalyzed by the Smc5-Smc6-Mms21 complex. These studies used strains in which SGS1 was C-terminally tagged with three or six copies of a human influenza hemagglutinin-derived epitope tag (3HA and 6HA). They identified SGS1 mutants that affect its SUMOylation, which we will refer to as SGS1 SUMO-site mutants. In previous work, these mutants showed phenotypes consistent with substantial loss of Sgs1-Top3-Rmi1 function during the mitotic cell cycle. We find that the reported phenotypes are largely due to the presence of the HA epitope tags. Untagged SGS1 SUMO-site mutants show either wild-type or weak hypomorphic phenotypes, depending on the assay. These phenotypes are exacerbated by both 6HA and 3HA epitope tags in two different S. cerevisiae strain backgrounds. Importantly, a C-terminal 6HA tag confers strong hypomorphic or null phenotypes on an otherwise wild-type Sgs1 protein. Taken together, these results suggest that the HA epitope tags used in previous studies seriously compromise Sgs1 function. Furthermore, they raise the possibilities either that sufficient SUMOylation of the Sgs1-Top3-Rmi1 complex might still occur in the SUMO-site mutants isolated, or that Smc5-Smc6-Mms21-mediated SUMOylation plays a minor role in the regulation of Sgs1-Top3-Rmi1 during recombination.
Collapse
|
12
|
Tian M, Loidl J. An MCM family protein promotes interhomolog recombination by preventing precocious intersister repair of meiotic DSBs. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008514. [PMID: 31815942 PMCID: PMC6922451 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombinational repair of meiotic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) uses the homologous chromosome as a template, although the sister chromatid offers itself as a spatially more convenient substrate. In many organisms, this choice is reinforced by the recombination protein Dmc1. In Tetrahymena, the repair of DSBs, which are formed early in prophase, is postponed to late prophase when homologous chromosomes and sister chromatids become juxtaposed owing to tight parallel packing in the thread-shaped nucleus, and thus become equally suitable for use as repair templates. The delay in DSB repair is achieved by rejection of the invading strand by the Sgs1 helicase in early meiotic prophase. In the absence of Mcmd1, a meiosis-specific minichromosome maintenance (MCM)-like protein (and its partner Pamd1), Dmc1 is prematurely lost from chromatin and DNA synthesis (as monitored by BrdU incorporation) takes place in early prophase. In mcmd1Δ and pamd1Δ mutants, only a few crossovers are formed. In a mcmd1Δ hop2Δ double mutant, normal timing of Dmc1 loss and DNA synthesis is restored. Because Tetrahymena Hop2 is believed to enable homologous strand invasion, we conclude that Dmc1 loss in the absence of Mcmd1 affects only post-invasion recombination intermediates. Therefore, we propose that the Dmc1 nucleofilament becomes dismantled immediately after forming a heteroduplex with a template strand. As a consequence, repair synthesis and D-loop extension starts in early prophase intermediates and prevents strand rejection before the completion of homologous pairing. In this case, DSB repair may primarily use the sister chromatid. We conclude that Mcmd1‒Pamd1 protects the Dmc1 nucleofilament from premature dismantling, thereby suppressing precocious repair synthesis and excessive intersister strand exchange at the cost of homologous recombination. Minichromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins are mainly known for their involvement in DNA replication. However, distant members of this protein family have recently been shown to promote interhomolog over intersister recombination in meiosis. They achieve this by enforcing or stabilizing the invasion of a double-stranded DNA by a filament consisting of a homologous single-stranded DNA molecule coated with a strand exchange protein. This interaction then would lead to the exchange of DNA strands and, ultimately, crossing over. Here, we study a member of the MCM protein family in the protist Tetrahymena thermophila. Meiosis in this organism has several unusual features: A synaptonemal complex is not formed, and homologous prealignment occurs during the close parallel arrangement of chromosomes in the extremely elongated, threadlike meiotic prophase nucleus. This noncanonical pairing has come along with altered mechanisms for recombination partner choice. Thus, we find that the Tetrahymena meiotic MCM protein promotes crossovers in an unprecedented way: It suppresses the formation of recombination intermediates between sister DNA molecules early in meiosis, thereby increasing the chance of competing interhomolog recombination events. Thus, members of the same protein family have been harnessed by different organisms to achieve the same result via completely different mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miao Tian
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Josef Loidl
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Positive Selection and Functional Divergence at Meiosis Genes That Mediate Crossing Over Across the Drosophila Phylogeny. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:3201-3211. [PMID: 31362974 PMCID: PMC6778797 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Meiotic crossing over ensures proper segregation of homologous chromosomes and generates genotypic diversity. Despite these functions, little is known about the genetic factors and population genetic forces involved in the evolution of recombination rate differences among species. The dicistronic meiosis gene, mei-217/mei-218, mediates most of the species differences in crossover rate and patterning during female meiosis between the closely related fruitfly species, Drosophila melanogaster and D. mauritiana The MEI-218 protein is one of several meiosis-specific mini-chromosome maintenance (mei-MCM) proteins that form a multi-protein complex essential to crossover formation, whereas the BLM helicase acts as an anti-crossover protein. Here we study the molecular evolution of five genes- mei-218, the other three known members of the mei-MCM complex, and Blm- over the phylogenies of three Drosophila species groups- melanogaster, obscura, and virilis We then use transgenic assays in D. melanogaster to test if molecular evolution at mei-218 has functional consequences for crossing over using alleles from the distantly related species D. pseudoobscura and D. virilis Our molecular evolutionary analyses reveal recurrent positive selection at two mei-MCM genes. Our transgenic assays show that sequence divergence among mei-218 alleles from D. melanogaster, D. pseudoobscura, and D. virilis has functional consequences for crossing over. In a D. melanogaster genetic background, the D. pseudoobscura mei-218 allele nearly rescues wildtype crossover rates but alters crossover patterning, whereas the D. virilis mei-218 allele conversely rescues wildtype crossover patterning but not crossover rates. These experiments demonstrate functional divergence at mei-218 and suggest that crossover rate and patterning are separable functions.
Collapse
|
14
|
Meiotic MCM Proteins Promote and Inhibit Crossovers During Meiotic Recombination. Genetics 2019; 212:461-468. [PMID: 31028111 PMCID: PMC6553819 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Crossover formation as a result of meiotic recombination is vital for the proper segregation of homologous chromosomes at the end of meiosis I. In many organisms, crossovers are generated through two crossover pathways: Class I and Class II. To ensure accurate crossover formation, meiosis-specific protein complexes regulate the degree to which each pathway is used. One such complex is the mei-mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) complex, which contains MCM and MCM-like proteins REC (ortholog of Mcm8), MEI-217, and MEI-218. The mei-MCM complex genetically promotes Class I crossovers and inhibits Class II crossovers in Drosophila, but it is unclear how individual mei-MCM proteins contribute to crossover regulation. In this study, we perform genetic analyses to understand how specific regions and motifs of mei-MCM proteins contribute to Class I and II crossover formation, and distribution. Our analyses show that the long, disordered N-terminus of MEI-218 is dispensable for crossover formation, and that mutations that disrupt REC’s Walker A and B motifs differentially affect Class I and Class II crossover formation. In rec Walker A mutants, Class I crossovers exhibit no change but Class II crossovers are increased. However, in rec Walker B mutants, Class I crossovers are severely impaired and Class II crossovers are increased. These results suggest that REC may form multiple complexes that exhibit differential REC-dependent ATP-binding and -hydrolyzing requirements. These results provide genetic insight into the mechanisms through which mei-MCM proteins promote Class I crossovers and inhibit Class II crossovers.
Collapse
|
15
|
Woglar A, Villeneuve AM. Dynamic Architecture of DNA Repair Complexes and the Synaptonemal Complex at Sites of Meiotic Recombination. Cell 2018; 173:1678-1691.e16. [PMID: 29754818 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.03.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Meiotic double-strand breaks (DSBs) are generated and repaired in a highly regulated manner to ensure formation of crossovers (COs) while also enabling efficient non-CO repair to restore genome integrity. We use structured-illumination microscopy to investigate the dynamic architecture of DSB repair complexes at meiotic recombination sites in relationship to the synaptonemal complex (SC). DSBs resected at both ends are converted into inter-homolog repair intermediates harboring two populations of BLM helicase and RPA, flanking a single population of MutSγ. These intermediates accumulate until late pachytene, when repair proteins disappear from non-CO sites and CO-designated sites become enveloped by SC-central region proteins, acquire a second MutSγ population, and lose RPA. These and other data suggest that the SC may protect CO intermediates from being dismantled inappropriately and promote CO maturation by generating a transient CO-specific repair compartment, thereby enabling differential timing and outcome of repair at CO and non-CO sites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Woglar
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anne M Villeneuve
- Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Massive crossover elevation via combination of HEI10 and recq4a recq4b during Arabidopsis meiosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:2437-2442. [PMID: 29463699 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1713071115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During meiosis, homologous chromosomes undergo reciprocal crossovers, which generate genetic diversity and underpin classical crop improvement. Meiotic recombination initiates from DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which are processed into single-stranded DNA that can invade a homologous chromosome. The resulting joint molecules can ultimately be resolved as crossovers. In Arabidopsis, competing pathways balance the repair of ∼100-200 meiotic DSBs into ∼10 crossovers per meiosis, with the excess DSBs repaired as noncrossovers. To bias DSB repair toward crossovers, we simultaneously increased dosage of the procrossover E3 ligase gene HEI10 and introduced mutations in the anticrossovers helicase genes RECQ4A and RECQ4B As HEI10 and recq4a recq4b increase interfering and noninterfering crossover pathways, respectively, they combine additively to yield a massive meiotic recombination increase. Interestingly, we also show that increased HEI10 dosage increases crossover coincidence, which indicates an effect on interference. We also show that patterns of interhomolog polymorphism and heterochromatin drive recombination increases distally towards the subtelomeres in both HEI10 and recq4a recq4b backgrounds, while the centromeres remain crossover suppressed. These results provide a genetic framework for engineering meiotic recombination landscapes in plant genomes.
Collapse
|
17
|
Loss of Drosophila Mei-41/ATR Alters Meiotic Crossover Patterning. Genetics 2017; 208:579-588. [PMID: 29247012 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiotic crossovers must be properly patterned to ensure accurate disjunction of homologous chromosomes during meiosis I. Disruption of the spatial distribution of crossovers can lead to nondisjunction, aneuploidy, gamete dysfunction, miscarriage, or birth defects. One of the earliest identified genes involved in proper crossover patterning is Drosophila mei-41, which encodes the ortholog of the checkpoint kinase ATR. Analysis of hypomorphic mutants suggested the existence of crossover patterning defects, but it was not possible to assess this in null mutants because of maternal-effect embryonic lethality. To overcome this lethality, we constructed mei-41 null mutants in which we expressed wild-type Mei-41 in the germline after completion of meiotic recombination, allowing progeny to survive. We find that crossovers are decreased to about one-third of wild-type levels, but the reduction is not uniform, being less severe in the proximal regions of chromosome 2L than in medial or distal 2L or on the X chromosome. None of the crossovers formed in the absence of Mei-41 require Mei-9, the presumptive meiotic resolvase, suggesting that Mei-41 functions everywhere, despite the differential effects on crossover frequency. Interference appears to be significantly reduced or absent in mei-41 mutants, but the reduction in crossover density in centromere-proximal regions is largely intact. We propose that crossover patterning is achieved in a stepwise manner, with the crossover suppression related to proximity to the centromere occurring prior to and independently of crossover designation and enforcement of interference. In this model, Mei-41 has an essential function in meiotic recombination after the centromere effect is established but before crossover designation and interference occur.
Collapse
|
18
|
Saito TT, Colaiácovo MP. Regulation of Crossover Frequency and Distribution during Meiotic Recombination. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2017; 82:223-234. [PMID: 29222342 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2017.82.034132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Crossover recombination is essential for generating genetic diversity and promoting accurate chromosome segregation during meiosis. The process of crossover recombination is tightly regulated and is initiated by the formation of programmed meiotic DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). The number of DSBs is around 10-fold higher than the number of crossovers in most species, because only a limited number of DSBs are repaired as crossovers during meiosis. Moreover, crossovers are not randomly distributed. Most crossovers are located on chromosomal arm regions and both centromeres and telomeres are usually devoid of crossovers. Either loss or mislocalization of crossovers frequently results in chromosome nondisjunction and subsequent aneuploidy, leading to infertility, miscarriages, and birth defects such as Down syndrome. Here, we will review aspects of crossover regulation observed in most species and then focus on crossover regulation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in which both the frequency and distribution of crossovers are tightly controlled. In this system, only a single crossover is formed, usually at an off-centered position, between each pair of homologous chromosomes. We have identified C. elegans mutants with deregulated crossover distribution, and we are analyzing crossover control by using an inducible single DSB system with which a single crossover can be produced at specific genomic positions. These combined studies are revealing novel insights into how crossover position is linked to accurate chromosome segregation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takamune T Saito
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | | |
Collapse
|