title: The synaptonemal complex of basal metazoan hydra: more similarities to vertebrate than invertebrate meiosis model organisms.
abstract: The synaptonemal complex (SC) is an evolutionarily well-conserved structure that mediates chromosome synapsis during prophase of the first meiotic division. Although its structure is conserved, the characterized protein components in the current metazoan meiosis model systems (Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Mus musculus) show no sequence homology, challenging the question of a single evolutionary origin of the SC. However, our recent studies revealed the monophyletic origin of the mammalian SC protein components. Many of them being ancient in Metazoa and already present in the cnidarian Hydra. Remarkably, a comparison between different model systems disclosed a great similarity between the SC components of Hydra and mammals while the proteins of the ecdysozoan systems (D. melanogaster and C. elegans) differ significantly. In this review, we introduce the basal-branching metazoan species Hydra as a potential novel invertebrate model system for meiosis research and particularly for the investigation of SC evolution, function and assembly. Also, available methods for SC research in Hydra are summarized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: johanna.fraune@uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fraune
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiesner
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: benavente@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benavente
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006829:Hydra / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008540:Meiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D013045:Species Specificity; D013573:Synaptonemal Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D014714:Vertebrates
keywords: Evolution; Hydra; Meiosis; Synaptonemal complex