title: Sites of strong Rec12/Spo11 binding in the fission yeast genome are associated with meiotic recombination and with centromeres.
abstract: Meiotic recombination arises from Rec12/Spo11-dependent formation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their subsequent repair. We identified Rec12-binding peaks across the Schizosaccharomyces pombe genome using chromatin immunoprecipitation after reversible formaldehyde cross-linking combined with whole-genome DNA microarrays. Strong Rec12 binding coincided with previously identified DSBs at the recombination hotspots ura4A, mbs1, and mbs2 and correlated with DSB formation at a new site. In addition, Rec12 binding corresponded to eight novel conversion hotspots and correlated with crossover density in segments of chromosome I. Notably, Rec12 binding inversely correlated with guanine-cytosine (GC) content, contrary to findings in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although both replication origins and Rec12-binding sites preferred AT-rich gene-free regions, they seemed to exclude each other. We also uncovered a connection between binding sites of Rec12 and meiotic cohesin Rec8. Rec12-binding peaks lay often within 2.5 kb of a Rec8-binding peak. Rec12 binding showed preference for large intergenic regions and was found to bind preferentially near to genes expressed strongly in meiosis. Surprisingly, Rec12 binding was also detected in centromeric core regions, which raises the intriguing possibility that Rec12 plays additional roles in meiotic chromosome dynamics.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland. katja.ludin@izb.unibern.ch
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ludin
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: Jürg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bähler
authors.forename: Jürg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kohli
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001665:Binding Sites; D002503:Centromere / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D004950:Esterases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D005838:Genotype; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099257:Meiotic Recombination Protein SPO11; D000097722:Cohesins
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D004950:Esterases; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D000099257:Meiotic Recombination Protein SPO11; C456270:rec12 protein, S pombe; C077081:REC8 protein, S pombe; D000097722:Cohesins