Using Schizosaccharomyces pombe meiosis to analyze DNA recombination intermediates.
The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has many biological characteristics that make it an ideal model organism for the study of meiosis. A nearly synchronous meiosis is one of the most important. Under certain environmental and genetic conditions, large cultures of S. pombe can be induced to undergo meiosis in a timely and predictable manner that allows for changes in the DNA to be observed and analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Initiation of meiotic recombination via programmed DNA double-strand breaks, the formation of joint molecule recombination intermediates, and the resolution of these intermediates into crossover DNA products can all be seen with consistent timing during the progression of a synchronous meiotic induction. The timing of recombination events, the genetic requirements for the formation and disappearance of recombination intermediates, and the analysis of the DNA structures of those intermediates allow a comparison of meiotic recombination in fission yeast with that in the only other species similarly studied, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Randy W
RW
Hyppa
Gerald R
GR
Smith
D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel / Q000379:methods; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
D004271:DNA, Fungal