Article
Plant Sciences
Jiayi Zhao, Xin Gui, Ziming Ren, Huiqi Fu, Chao Yang, Wenyi Wang, Qingpei Liu, Min Zhang, Chong Wang, Arp Schnittger, Bing Liu
Summary: This study demonstrates the important role of the ATM kinase in maintaining meiotic genome stability under heat stress in Arabidopsis.
Article
Cell Biology
Rui Wu, Junfeng Zhan, Bo Zheng, Zhen Chen, Jianbo Li, Changrong Li, Rong Liu, Xinhua Zhang, Xiaoyan Huang, Mengcheng Luo
Summary: The study reveals that SYMPK plays a critical role in male germ cells development, and its knockout leads to male infertility in mice. Deletion of SYMPK affects spermatogenesis and meiotic progression by influencing alternative splicing and gene expression.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Bo Chen, Gengzhen Zhu, An Yan, Jing P. He, Yang Liu, Lin P. Li, Xuerui Yang, Chen P. Dong, Kehkooi Kee
Summary: Deficiency in the adhesion molecule IGSF11, expressed in both somatic cells and germ cells, leads to male infertility in mice, highlighting its importance in meiosis progression. IGSF11 is required for pericentric heterochromatin dissociation in both somatic and germ cells during diplotene in mouse primary spermatocytes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hanchen Chen, Chengpeng He, Chongyang Wang, Xuanpeng Wang, Fengyin Ruan, Junjie Yan, Ping Yin, Yingxiang Wang, Shunping Yan
Summary: This study revealed the function of RAD51 in meiosis and the inhibitory effect of SMC5/6 on DMC1 as a control mechanism during meiotic recombination.
Article
Plant Sciences
Na Mu, Yafei Li, Sanhe Li, Wenqing Shi, Yi Shen, Han Yang, Fanfan Zhang, Ding Tang, Guijie Du, Aiqing You, Zhukuan Cheng
Summary: In this study, using physiological, cytological, and genetic approaches, it was found that MUS81 in rice functions in atypical recombination intermediate resolution rather than crossover designation. The total chiasma numbers and HEI10 foci (the sites of interference-sensitive crossovers) in mus81 mutants were similar to wild-type. Disruption of MUS81 in msh5 or msh4 msh5 background did not further decrease chiasmata frequency, indicating that rice MUS81 did not play a role in crossover designation. However, chromosome fragments and bridges were frequently observed in mus81 zep1 and mus81 fancm, suggesting that MUS81 may resolve atypical recombination intermediates.
Article
Cell Biology
Sara Gonzalez-Arranz, Isabel Acosta, Jesus A. Carballo, Beatriz Santos, Pedro A. San-Segundo
Summary: This study reveals the mechanism of polo-like kinase Cdc5 during meiotic prophase I to meiosis I transition, showing that its overexpression partially relieves the meiotic delay induced by the checkpoint. However, a mutant version lacking the N-terminal region fails to alleviate the delay. In addition, the double mutant exhibits an exacerbated meiotic block compared to the single mutant.
Article
Plant Sciences
Aaron Chan, Claudio Stasolla
Summary: The effect of red light on the induction of somatic embryogenesis was studied in Arabidopsis, and it was found that red light signaling mediated by PHYE is involved in the regulation of BR biosynthesis and AGL15 expression, which are crucial for somatic embryo formation. This study provides insights into the mechanism underlying the role of red light in somatic embryogenesis.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiang Li, Mingsen Yu, Pablo Bolanos-Villegas, Jun Zhang, Di'an Ni, Hong Ma, Yingxiang Wang
Summary: The study revealed the crucial role of FANCM in shaping the distribution of meiotic Class-I crossovers in plants, with evolutionary divergent roles observed between Arabidopsis and lettuce in meiotic bivalent formation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Marie Sarens, Gregory P. Copenhaver, Nico De Storme
Summary: A new method was introduced to quantitatively express chromatid interference (CI) and research showed random involvement of sister chromatids in double CO events across chromosomes in Arabidopsis and maize, indicating an absence of CI. However, on a genome-wide level, CI was found to vary with physical distance between COs, with differing effects in the two plants.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Cuacos, Christophe Lambing, Miguel Pachon-Penalba, Kim Osman, Susan J. Armstrong, Ian R. Henderson, Eugenio Sanchez-Moran, F. Christopher H. Franklin, Stefan Heckmann
Summary: In Brassica rapa, axis formation and remodelling are crucial for meiotic fidelity, including synapsis and crossover (CO) formation. Mutants of ASY1 and PCH2 show altered distribution of CO, with asy1 plants being sterile and pch2 plants being semi-sterile, making PCH2 a potential target for breeding programs.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Karen P. McNally, Elizabeth A. Beath, Brennan M. Danlasky, Consuelo Barroso, Ting Gong, Wenzhe Li, Enrique Martinez-Perez, Francis J. McNally
Summary: Accurate chromosome segregation during meiosis requires both cohesion between chromosomes and the formation of a bipolar spindle. In this study, the researchers investigated whether the bipolar structure of C. elegans meiotic chromosomes is necessary for spindle polarity in the absence of cohesion. They found that while a mutant lacking cohesion formed an apolar spindle, a mutant with residual non-cohesive cohesin formed a bipolar spindle. The results suggest that cohesin is essential for spindle assembly and chromosome segregation independent of its role in sister chromatid cohesion.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bhuvanasundar Renganathan, James P. Zewe, Yuan Cheng, Jean-Michel Paumier, Mark Kittisopikul, Karen M. Ridge, Puneet Opal, Vladimir I. Gelfand
Summary: Gigaxonin acts as an adaptor protein for E3 ubiquitin ligase and is essential for ubiquitination and degradation of intermediate filament (IF) proteins. Mutations in the GAN gene, which encodes gigaxonin, cause giant axonal neuropathy characterized by abnormal accumulation of IFs. This study shows that loss of gigaxonin inhibits IF transport along microtubules by the motor protein kinesin-1, leading to abnormal IF distribution.
Article
Cell Biology
Kazi Nazrul Islam, Maitri Mitesh Modi, Kellee Renee Siegfried
Summary: The SMC1β protein plays a crucial role in meiosis in vertebrates, primarily involved in meiosis in both fish and mammals. In zebrafish, Smc1b is essential for the leptotene to zygotene transition in spermatogenesis, with key differences in Smc1b requirement for meiosis observed among vertebrates.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hui Ma, Tao Li, Xuefeng Xie, Long Jiang, Jingwei Ye, Chenjia Gong, Hanwei Jiang, Suixing Fan, Huan Zhang, Baolu Shi, Beibei Zhang, Xiaohua Jiang, Yang Li, Jianteng Zhou, Jianze Xu, Xingxia Zhang, Xiaoning Hou, Hao Yin, Yuanwei Zhang, Qinghua Shi
Summary: This study found that RAD51AP2 plays a specific role in the formation of crossovers on XY chromosomes in the pseudoautosomal region, and its mutation leads to compromised DSB repair in PARs.
Article
Plant Sciences
Monika Zakrzewska-Placzek, Anna Golisz-Mocydlarz, Michal Krzyszton, Justyna Piotrowska, Malgorzata Lichocka, Joanna Kufel
Summary: This study demonstrates the involvement of AtNOL12 in rRNA biogenesis and its correlation with stress response in plants. The absence of AtNOL12 alters the expression of ribosomal protein and ribosome biogenesis genes, potentially impacting ribosome function.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alexander Calderwood, Andrew Lloyd, Jo Hepworth, Eleri H. Tudor, D. Marc Jones, Shannon Woodhouse, Lorelei Bilham, Catherine Chinoy, Kevin Williams, Fiona Corke, John H. Doonan, Lars Ostergaard, Judith A. Irwin, Rachel Wells, Richard J. Morris
Summary: This study focused on the multiple FLC paralogues in Brassica napus and found that relaxed selection pressure allowed for divergence in FLC expression, leading to variation in cold treatment response between paralogues and accessions. Total FLC expression dynamics best explained the differences in cold requirement between cultivars, rather than specific FLC paralogue expression.
Article
Parasitology
Samirah Perally, Kathrin K. Geyer, Priscila S. G. Farani, Iain W. Chalmers, Narcis Fernandez-Fuentes, Daniel R. Maskell, Benjamin J. Hulme, Josephine Forde-Thomas, Dylan Phillips, Leonardo P. Farias, James J. Collins III, Karl F. Hoffmann
Summary: The Schistosoma mansoni venom allergen-like protein (SmVAL) superfamily consists of at least 29 molecules classified into Group 1 and Group 2 based on the presence or absence of signal peptide and conserved cysteine. While Group 1 SmVALs interact with hosts, Group 2 SmVALs are believed to perform parasite-related functions within the schistosome. Experimental evidence supports host interactions for Group 1 SmVALs, but functional roles for Group 2 SmVALs are still unclear. This study provides evidence for an essential function of a Group 2 SmVAL, SmVAL6, in schistosome biology.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wayne Crismani, Chloe Girard, Andrew Lloyd
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Stylianos Poulios, Despoina Dadarou, Maxim Gavriilidis, Niki Mougiou, Nestoras Kargios, Vasileia Maliori, Amy T. Hark, John H. Doonan, Konstantinos E. Vlachonasios
Summary: Histone acetylation through ADA3a-GCN5 complex plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression during flowering, suggesting ADA3a as a repressor of floral initiation. Knock out mutants of ADA3a lead to early flowering and affect the expression of genes involved in floral transition pathways. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis reveals ADA3a's impact on histone H3 acetylation levels at specific loci related to flowering time.
Article
Plant Sciences
Willem Q. M. van de Koot, Larissa J. J. van Vliet, Weilun Chen, John H. Doonan, Candida Nibau
Summary: A newly developed image analysis pipeline accurately annotates Sphagnum capitula and estimates plant density, providing ecologists and conservationists with a tool for rapidly acquiring accurate estimates of Sphagnum density in the field without the need of specialised equipment.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Robert Hasterok, Alexander Betekhtin
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Benjamin J. Hulme, Kathrin K. Geyer, Josephine E. Forde-Thomas, Gilda Padalino, Dylan W. Phillips, Wannaporn Ittiprasert, Shannon E. Karinshak, Victoria H. Mann, Iain W. Chalmers, Paul J. Brindley, Cornelis H. Hokke, Karl F. Hoffmann
Summary: Alpha-galactosidase (α-GAL) and alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (α-NAGAL) are two glycosyl hydrolases responsible for maintaining cellular homeostasis by regulating glycan substrates on proteins and lipids. The parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni also contains functionally important α-GAL and α-NAGAL proteins, and inhibiting their activities could lead to the development of novel chemotherapeutics. The study identified that Smp_089290 is the only S. mansoni protein containing the necessary amino acids for α-GAL/α-NAGAL substrate cleavage. Inhibition of α-NAGAL activity in the adult worms significantly reduced their motility and egg production. This study contributes to understanding the glycan processing and modification machinery of schistosomes and suggests that targeting α-NAGAL may be a potential strategy for controlling schistosomiasis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Candida Nibau, Willem van de Koot, Dominic Spiliotis, Kevin Williams, Tina Kramaric, Manfred Beckmann, Luis Mur, Yuji Hiwatashi, John H. Doonan
Summary: This study finds that different species of Sphagnum moss have varied physiological and molecular responses to desiccation, which are not directly correlated with their position in relation to the water table. Increased expression of drought responsive genes is accompanied by an increase in abscisic acid (ABA) levels, supporting its role in desiccation responses in Sphagnum.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Aiswarya Girija, Habte Jifar, Chris Jones, Rattan Yadav, John Doonan, Luis A. J. Mur
Summary: This article introduces tef, a highly nutritious gluten-free Ethiopian cereal, and highlights the factors that affect its productivity. With the recent availability of tef genome sequences, there is a need to harness its benefits to improve food security.
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Candida Nibau, Adrian Gonzalo, Aled Evans, William Sweet-Jones, Dylan Phillips, Andrew Lloyd
Summary: Polyploidy is a major evolutionary force, but it poses challenges for meiotic chromosome segregation. In this study, we describe the meiosis process in the allopolyploid species Arabidopsis suecica. The meiosis in A. suecica is diploid-like, with some abnormalities observed at low frequency, but no evidence of crossover formation between non-homologous chromosomes.
Review
Plant Sciences
Andrew Lloyd
Summary: Chromatin state, dynamic loading of pro-crossover protein HEI10, and genomic and epigenomic features play important roles in shaping meiotic chromosome patterning in plants. The regulation of crossover formation involves phenomena such as crossover interference, crossover homeostasis, and obligatory crossover. Recent studies implicate HEI10 and ZYP1 as key players in coordinating crossover regulation.
PLANT REPRODUCTION
(2022)