Evolutionary conservation of meiotic DSB proteins: more than just Spo11.
Meiotic recombination is initiated by programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) generated by the Spo11 protein. In budding yeast, five other meiotic-specific proteins are also required for DSB formation, but, with rare exception, orthologs had not been identified in other species. In this issue of Genes & Development, Kumar and colleagues (pp. 1266-1280) used a phylogenomic approach to identify two of these proteins across multiple clades, and confirmed that one of these, MEI4, is a functional ortholog in mouse.
Cole
Francesca
F
Developmental Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA. colef@mskcc.org
Keeney
Scott
S
Jasin
Maria
M
D000818:Animals; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003434:Crossing Over, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D045522:Recombinases / Q000235:genetics; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000235:genetics; D000099257:Meiotic Recombination Protein SPO11
D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D004950:Esterases; D045522:Recombinases; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D000099257:Meiotic Recombination Protein SPO11