Review
Cell Biology
Mireia Sole, Alvaro Pascual, Ester Anton, Joan Blanco, Zaida Sarrate
Summary: Meiosis involves important events such as homologous chromosomal pairing, synapsis, recombination, and segregation, which contribute to reducing ploidy level and increasing genetic diversity. In most sexually reproducing eukaryotes, homologous chromosome pairing relies on mechanisms associated with DNA double-strand break repair and other pre-break formation processes. This article discusses various strategies used by model organisms for DSB-independent pairing, including chromosome clustering, nuclear and chromosome movements, specific proteins, non-coding RNA, and DNA sequences involvement.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Charles Addo Nyarko, Annaliese S. Mason
Summary: Polyploids need to segregate homologous chromosomes correctly, which is not only determined by sequence similarity but also under strong genetic control that may vary between lineages. Factors such as partner availability and genome structure may also influence the level of sequence similarity required for crossover formation.
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jiachen Yuan, Gongyao Shi, Yan Yang, Janeen Braynen, Xinjie Shi, Xiaochun Wei, Zhuolin Hao, Xiaowei Zhang, Yuxiang Yuan, Baoming Tian, Zhengqing Xie, Fang Wei
Summary: The cytological observations suggest that evolutionary genome duplication may impact non-homologous chromosome pairing in haploid B. rapa during meiosis. The study demonstrates diploid-like chromosome pairing behavior and well-organized cytoskeletal configurations in haploid B. rapa, indicating a similarity in gene expression patterns related to chromosome synapsis and homologous recombination between haploid and diploid plants. This phenomenon may be attributed to the evolutionary homology of genomic segments resulting from whole-genome duplication, which could reshape the meiosis division course and affect pollen development in plants.
PLANT CELL REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Xi-Hui Du, Si-Yue Wang, Martin Ryberg, Yong-Jie Guo, Jing-Yi Wei, Donald H. Pfister, Hanna Johannesson
Summary: This study investigated the variation in number, shape, size, and germination mode of ascospores in Morchella galilaea and discovered significant variation in the shape and size of ascospores. The researchers found that ascospores can germinate through extended germ tubes or direct production of conidia. The study also observed variation in the number of nuclei in ascospores and conidia, with larger ascospores containing more nuclei. This research provides new insights into the life cycle of Morchella species and contributes to the understanding of conidia formation and reproductive strategies in Pezizomycetes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Yuki Takada, Ruken Yaman-Deveci, Takayuki Shirakawa, Jafar Sharif, Shin-Ichi Tomizawa, Fumihito Miura, Takashi Ito, Michio Ono, Kuniko Nakajima, Yoko Koseki, Fuyuko Shiotani, Kei-Ichiro Ishiguro, Kazuyuki Ohbo, Haruhiko Koseki
Summary: The study revealed that the essential proteins for maintenance DNA methylation, NP95 and DNMT1, are co-expressed in spermatogonia and are necessary for meiosis in male germ cells. Deficiency in Np95 or Dnmt1 in spermatocytes results in spermatogenic defects such as synaptic failure and disruption of pericentric heterochromatin clusters.
Review
Cell Biology
Yuqi Tian, Libo Liu, Jinmin Gao, Ruoxi Wang
Summary: Meiosis is a specialized cell division that generates haploid gametes in sexually reproducing organisms. Homologous chromosomes pair and segregate, but the mechanisms of pairing differ across species. Recent studies have identified conserved mechanisms and key regulators of homologous chromosome pairing in various model organisms.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Qinghua Shi, Xianrui Guo, Handong Su, Yingxin Zhang, Zanmin Hu, Jing Zhang, Fangpu Han
Summary: In this study, researchers found that the induced tetraploid Th. elongatum and the natural tetraploid Th. elongatum are morphologically similar, except for slower development and lower seed setting in the induced tetraploid. Using various molecular probes, the researchers identified differences between two chromosome sets of the natural tetraploid Th. elongatum, but not the induced one. Analysis of hybrid individuals and meiosis in the induced tetraploid revealed that chromosome pairing was successful, indicating rapid diploidization in the induced tetraploid.
Article
Biophysics
Neha Chauhan, Apostolos Karanastasis, Chaitanya K. Ullal, Xing Wang
Summary: Homologous pairing (HP) is a fundamental biological process that is not fully understood. This study reveals that HP can occur in short DNA sequences as small as 18 basepairs. By analyzing crystal formation in a colloidal micro-particle-based system, the impact of nucleotide order and triplet framework on HP is validated.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
I. M. Serrano-Leon, P. Prieto, M. Aguilar
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive molecular analysis of telomeres and subtelomeres in barley chromosomes. The findings suggest that these regions play a significant role in the early chromosomal interactions during meiosis in barley, specifically in the homologous recognition and pairing process. Understanding the genome organization of barley and its role in plant breeding is crucial.
Article
Biology
Regina Rillo-Bohn, Renzo Adilardi, Therese Mitros, Baris Avsaroglu, Lewis Stevens, Simone Kohler, Joshua Bayes, Clara Wang, Sabrina Lin, K. Alienor Baskevitch, Daniel S. Rokhsar, Abby F. Dernburg
Summary: Meiosis is a conserved process in eukaryotes but can vary in its details. The nematode Pristionchus pacificus has been identified as a new model system for molecular analysis of meiosis, showing differences with the widely studied Caenorhabditis elegans in the expression of recombinases and the processes of synapsis and crossover formation.
Article
Biology
Myron Barber Child, Jack R. Bateman, Amir Jahangiri, Armando Reimer, Nicholas C. Lammers, Nica Sabouni, Diego Villamarin, Grace C. McKenzie-Smith, Justine E. Johnson, Daniel Jost, Hernan G. Garcia
Summary: Research suggests that somatic homolog pairing in fruit fly may be driven by specifically interacting 'buttons' encoded along chromosomes, and a quantitative biophysical model has been proposed to demonstrate this hypothesis.
Article
Agronomy
Xin Zhang, Zhuang Meng, Jinlei Han, Haris Khurshid, Ayman Esh, Robert Hasterok, Kai Wang
Summary: Autopolyploidy and allopolyploidy are common in plants, but autopolyploidy has received less attention and its evolutionary consequences are unclear. Using chromosome painting probes and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we studied chromosome behavior in autotetraploid, autooctoploid, and autodecaploid sugarcane clones. All autopolyploid clones exhibited stable diploidized chromosome behavior, with preferential pairing observed between homologous copies of chromosome 8. Sequence variation analysis showed no apparent differences among homologs of chromosome 8. Our results suggest that unknown mechanisms, other than DNA sequence similarity, contribute to stable meiotic behavior in these autopolyploid sugarcane plants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Adam J. Lukaszewski
Summary: This study analyzed the packaging of sister centromeres in FDR-type meiosis and found that sister centromere separation was only visible in univalents placed on the metaphase plate in FDR.
Article
Plant Sciences
Huiqi Fu, Jiayi Zhao, Ziming Ren, Ke Yang, Chong Wang, Xiaohong Zhang, Ibrahim Eid Elesawi, Xianhua Zhang, Jing Xia, Chunli Chen, Ping Lu, Yongxing Chen, Hong Liu, Guanghui Yu, Bing Liu
Summary: High temperature interferes with chromosome pairing and increases meiotic instability in newly generated autotetraploid Arabidopsis thaliana. The impact of increased environmental temperature on male meiosis in autotetraploid plants was investigated. The study found that temperature elevation disrupts proper chromosome segregation and tetrad formation, mainly by interfering with homolog pairing and suppressing crossing-over. Furthermore, the stability of the chromosome axis is affected by heat stress. These findings highlight the negative effects of whole-genome duplication and high temperature on the stability and thermal tolerance of meiotic recombination in autotetraploid plants.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Erik J. Navarro, Wallace F. Marshall, Jennifer C. Fung
Summary: During meiosis, homologous chromosomes must quickly pair up while mitigating and resolving interlocks. The active motion of telomeres speeds up pairing, while an increase in nuclear size slows down pairing but reduces the number of interlocks significantly.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roselyne Ferrari, Isabelle Lacaze, Pauline Le Faouder, Justine Bertrand-Michel, Camille Oger, Jean-Marie Galano, Thierry Durand, Stephane Moularat, Laetitia Chan Ho Tong, Charlie Boucher, Jaafar Kilani, Yohann Petit, Oceane Vanparis, Cesar Trannoy, Sylvain Brun, Herve Lalucque, Fabienne Malagnac, Philippe Silar
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENERAL SUBJECTS
(2018)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philippe Silar, Jean-Marc Dauget, Valerie Gautier, Pierre Grognet, Michelle Chablat, Sylvie Hermann-Le Denmat, Arnaud Couloux, Patrick Wincker, Robert Debuchy
MOLECULAR GENETICS AND GENOMICS
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emeline Dubois, Arnaud De Muyt, Jessica L. Soyer, Karine Budin, Mathieu Legras, Tristan Piolot, Robert Debuchy, Nancy Kleckner, Denise Zickler, Eric Espagne
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2019)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Pierre Grognet, Helene Timpano, Florian Carlier, Jinane Ait-Benkhali, Veronique Berteaux-Lecellier, Robert Debuchy, Frederique Bidard, Fabienne Malagnac
Review
Plant Sciences
Fanny E. Hartmann, Marine Duhamel, Fantin Carpentier, Michael E. Hood, Marie Foulongne-Oriol, Philippe Silar, Fabienne Malagnac, Pierre Grognet, Tatiana Giraud
Summary: Genomic regions determining sexual compatibility often display recombination suppression, which can extend beyond the genes determining sexes or mating types, maintaining the multiallelic combinations required for correct compatibility determination. Recent evidence shows expansions of recombination suppression beyond mating-type genes in fungi, which have been little studied and may be more pervasive than commonly thought. The study of recombination suppression in fungi could contribute to our understanding of recombination suppression expansion across a broader range of organisms.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fanny E. Hartmann, Sandra Lorena Ament-Velasquez, Aaron A. Vogan, Valerie Gautier, Stephanie Le Prieur, Myriam Berramdane, Alodie Snirc, Hanna Johannesson, Pierre Grognet, Fabienne Malagnac, Philippe Silar, Tatiana Giraud
Summary: The study reveals the presence of nonrecombining regions around the mating-type locus in the fungus Podospora anserina and related species, leading to occasional recombination due to the labile and polymorphic nature of these regions. The size and location of the nonrecombining region vary between strains and species, resulting in differences in heterozygosity levels. Low levels of heterozygosity suggest low but nonnull outcrossing rates in nature for these pseudohomothallic fungi, contributing to our understanding of mating-type chromosome evolution and mating systems.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Aaron A. Vogan, Andrew N. Miller, Philippe Silar
Article
Genetics & Heredity
F. Carlier, M. Li, L. Maroc, R. Debuchy, C. Souaid, D. Noordermeer, P. Grognet, F. Malagnac
Summary: Selective gene silencing is crucial for development, with H3K27me3-enriched heterochromatin maintaining transcriptional repression and regulating cell fate. Conversely, H3K9me3-enriched heterochromatin prevents differentiation and protects against transposable elements. Research using the fungus Podospora anserina revealed an interplay between these different heterochromatin conformations, with an interdependence of H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 marks observed. Loss of specific enzymes led to defects in developmental processes, highlighting the importance of histone modifications in fungal development.
EPIGENETICS & CHROMATIN
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Valerie Gautier, Emilie Levert, Tatiana Giraud, Philippe Silar
Summary: Melanins are pigments used by fungi for stress resistance and structural strengthening. In a specific fungi, complete inactivation of a key enzyme results in reduced female fertility, unlike a previously studied nonsense mutation. The mutants may also be useful for detecting rare genetic events in Podospora anserina.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Alexandre Lassagne, Sylvain Brun, Fabienne Malagnac, Henri Adreit, Joelle Milazzo, Elisabeth Fournier, Didier Tharreau
Summary: This study investigates the biological process of sexual reproduction in the fungal pathogen Pyricularia oryzae. It reveals the presence of microconidia as male gametes and demonstrates their importance in fruiting body formation.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gaelle Lelandais, Damien Remy, Fabienne Malagnac, Pierre Grognet
Summary: This study conducted a comprehensive functional annotation of the P. anserina genome using RNA-seq data, including information about promoters, transcription starting sites, terminators, alternative splicing events, and transcription of non-coding regions. These new findings will enhance our understanding of gene regulation strategies in compact genomes, such as filamentous fungi.
Article
Microbiology
Alexander Demoor, Isabelle Lacaze, Roselyne Ferrari, Christophe Lalanne, Philippe Silar, Sylvain Brun
Summary: By conducting a genetic screen in Podospora anserina, researchers identified a new gene, gun1, involved in the regulation of ascospore germination. The gun1 mutant showed uncontrolled germination and also played a role in ascospore development. This study provides new insights into the regulation of ascospore germination in filamentous fungi.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Moussa Dicko, Roselyne Ferrari, Narumon Tangthirasunun, Valerie Gautier, Christophe Lalanne, Farida Lamari, Philippe Silar
Article
Microbiology
Alexander Demoor, Philippe Silar, Sylvain Brun