FANCM limits meiotic crossovers.
The number of meiotic crossovers (COs) is tightly regulated within a narrow range, despite a large excess of molecular precursors. The factors that limit COs remain largely unknown. Here, using a genetic screen in Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified the highly conserved FANCM helicase, which is required for genome stability in humans and yeasts, as a major factor limiting meiotic CO formation. The fancm mutant has a threefold-increased CO frequency as compared to the wild type. These extra COs arise not from the pathway that accounts for most of the COs in wild type, but from an alternate, normally minor pathway. Thus, FANCM is a key factor imposing an upper limit on the number of meiotic COs, and its manipulation holds much promise for plant breeding.
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR1318, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, Versailles, France.
Wayne
W
Crismani
Chloé
C
Girard
Nicole
N
Froger
Mónica
M
Pradillo
Juan Luis
JL
Santos
Liudmila
L
Chelysheva
Gregory P
GP
Copenhaver
Christine
C
Horlow
Raphaël
R
Mercier
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020090:Chromosome Segregation; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003434:Crossing Over, Genetic; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D059765:Homologous Recombination; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008540:Meiosis; D009154:Mutation
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; C520833:Zip4 protein, Arabidopsis; D004720:Endonucleases; C514438:MUS81 protein, Arabidopsis; D004265:DNA Helicases; C573664:FANCM protein, Arabidopsis