Synaptonemal complex stability depends on repressive histone marks of the lateral element-associated repeat sequences.
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is the central key structure for meiosis in organisms undergoing sexual reproduction. During meiotic prophase I, homologous chromosomes exchange genetic information at the time they are attached to the lateral elements by specific DNA sequences. Most of these sequences, so far identified, consist of repeat DNA, which are subject to chromatin structural changes during meiotic prophase I. In this work, we addressed the effect of altering the chromatin structure of repeat DNA sequences mediating anchorage to the lateral elements of the SC. Administration of the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A into live rats caused death of cells in the pachytene stage as well as changes in histone marks along the synaptonemal complex. The most notable effect was partial loss of histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation. Our work describes the epigenetic landscape of lateral element-associated chromatin and reveals a critical role of histone marks in synaptonemal complex integrity.
Hernández-Hernández
Abrahan
A
Laboratorio de Microscopía Electrónica, Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), México D.F., C.P. 04510, Mexico. ghvn@hp.fciencias.unam.mx
Ortiz
Rosario
R
Ubaldo
Ernestina
E
Martínez
Olga M Echeverría
OM
Vázquez-Nin
Gerardo H
GH
Recillas-Targa
Félix
F
D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D049469:Meiotic Prophase I; D055550:Protein Stability; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013573:Synaptonemal Complex / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones