Genetic interactions between HOP1, RED1 and MEK1 suggest that MEK1 regulates assembly of axial element components during meiosis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
During meiosis, axial elements are generated by the condensation of sister chromatids along a protein core as precursors to the formation of the synaptonemal complex (SC). Functional axial elements are essential for wild-type levels of recombination and proper reductional segregation at meiosis I. Genetic and cytological data suggest that three meiosis-specific genes, HOP1, RED1 and MEK1, are involved in axial element formation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. HOP1 and RED1 encode structural components of axial elements while MEK1 encodes a putative protein kinase. Using a partially functional allele of MEK1, new genetic interactions have been found between HOP1, RED1 and MEK1. Overexpression of HOP1 partially suppresses the spore inviability and recombination defects of mek1-974; in contrast, overexpression of RED1 exacerbates the mek1-974 spore inviability. Co-overexpression of HOP1 and RED1 in mek1-974 diploids alleviates the negative effect of overexpressing RED1 alone. Red1p/Red1p as well as Hop1p/Red1p interactions have been reconstituted in two hybrid experiments. Our results suggest a model whereby Mek1 kinase activity controls axial element assembly by regulating the affinity with which Hop1p and Red1p interact with each other.
Hollingsworth
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NM
Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, State University of New York at Stony Brook 11794-5215, USA. nancyhol@mcbsgi.bio.sunysb.edu
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D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005800:Genes, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D013172:Spores, Fungal; D013573:Synaptonemal Complex
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C086672:HOP1 protein, S cerevisiae; C086673:RED1 protein, S cerevisiae; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases