title: The Hop2 and Mnd1 proteins act in concert with Rad51 and Dmc1 in meiotic recombination.
abstract: During the first meiotic division, homologous chromosomes (homologs) have to separate to opposite poles of the cell to ensure the right complement in the progeny. Homologous recombination provides a mechanism for a genome-wide homology search and physical linkage among the homologs before their orderly segregation. Rad51 and Dmc1 recombinases are the major players in these processes. Disruption of meiosis-specific HOP2 or MND1 genes leads to severe defects in homologous synapsis and an early-stage recombination failure resulting in sterility. Here we show that mouse Hop2 can efficiently form D-loops, the first recombination intermediates, but this activity is abrogated upon association with Mnd1. Furthermore, the Hop2-Mnd1 heterodimer physically interacts with Rad51 and Dmc1 recombinases and stimulates their activity up to 35-fold. Our data reveal an interplay among Hop2, Mnd1 and Rad51 and Dmc1 in the formation of the first recombination intermediates during meiosis.
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 5 Memorial Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Galina V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Petukhova
authors.forename: Roberto J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pezza
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vanevski
authors.forename: Mickael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ploquin
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Masson
authors.forename: R Daniel
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Camerini-Otero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020029:Base Pairing; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D028044:Phosphate-Binding Proteins; D011485:Protein Binding; D051135:Rad51 Recombinase; D045522:Recombinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C513032:Dmc1 protein, mouse; C501202:Hop2 protein, mouse; C501203:Mnd1 protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D028044:Phosphate-Binding Proteins; D045522:Recombinases; D004247:DNA; D051135:Rad51 Recombinase; C495154:Rad51 protein, mouse