title: OsSPO11-1 is essential for both homologous chromosome pairing and crossover formation in rice.
abstract: Spo11 is a homolog of a subunit of archaebacterial topoisomerase, which catalyzes DNA double-strand breaks and initiates homologous chromosome recombination. In the present study, we silenced the SPO11-1 gene in rice (Oryza sativa) using RNAi. Rice plants with loss-of-function of OsSPO11-1 have no apparent growth defects during vegetative development, but homologous chromosome pairing and recombination are significantly obstructed. Telomeres can be assembled as bouquet during the zygotene stage of the OsSPO11-1-deficient plants, just as that in wild type. Although the two axial-associated proteins, REC8 and PAIR2, are loaded onto the chromosomes, the depletion of PAIR2 from the chromosomes is much later than in wild type. The central element of the synaptonemal complex (SC), ZEP1, does not load onto the chromosomes normally, implying that SC formation is disturbed severely. The crossover protein, MER3, isn't efficiently assembled onto chromosomes and the lack of bivalent suggests that crossovers are also affected in the absence of OsSPO11-1. Thus, OsSPO11-1 is essential for both homologous chromosomes pairing and crossover formation during meiosis in rice.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology of Jiangsu Province/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
authors.forename: Hengxiu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Mo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Kejian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fuli
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhiyun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Minghong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Zhukuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D023902:Chromosome Pairing; D003434:Crossing Over, Genetic; D026942:DNA Topoisomerases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008540:Meiosis; D012275:Oryza / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013573:Synaptonemal Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D026942:DNA Topoisomerases