Rec8 Cohesin: A Structural Platform for Shaping the Meiotic Chromosomes

Meiosis is critically different from mitosis in that during meiosis, pairing and segregation of homologous chromosomes occur. During meiosis, the morphology of sister chromatids changes drastically, forming a prominent axial structure in the synaptonemal complex. The meiosis-specific cohesin complex plays a central role in the regulation of the processes required for recombination. In particular, the Rec8 subunit of the meiotic cohesin complex, which is conserved in a wide range of eukaryotes, has been analyzed for its function in modulating chromosomal architecture during the pairing and recombination of homologous chromosomes in meiosis. Here, we review the current understanding of Rec8 cohesin as a structural platform for meiotic chromosomes.

Automated summary

The key difference between meiosis and mitosis is that during meiosis, pairing and segregation of homologous chromosomes occur, and there are significant changes in the morphology of sister chromatids. The meiosis-specific cohesin complex, especially the Rec8 subunit, plays a crucial role in regulating the pairing and recombination of homologous chromosomes in meiosis.