Condensin restructures chromosomes in preparation for meiotic divisions.
The production of haploid gametes from diploid germ cells requires two rounds of meiotic chromosome segregation after one round of replication. Accurate meiotic chromosome segregation involves the remodeling of each pair of homologous chromosomes around the site of crossover into a highly condensed and ordered structure. We showed that condensin, the protein complex needed for mitotic chromosome compaction, restructures chromosomes during meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans. In particular, condensin promotes both meiotic chromosome condensation after crossover recombination and the remodeling of sister chromatids. Condensin helps resolve cohesin-independent linkages between sister chromatids and alleviates recombination-independent linkages between homologues. The safeguarding of chromosome resolution by condensin permits chromosome segregation and is crucial for the formation of discrete, individualized bivalent chromosomes.
Chan
Raymond C
RC
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
Severson
Aaron F
AF
Meyer
Barbara J
BJ
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D022004:Chromosome Structures / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005718:Gametogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D049469:Meiotic Prophase I / Q000235:genetics; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C459882:HCP-6 protein, C elegans; C110487:MIX-1 protein, C elegans; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; C108312:condensin complexes; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases