title: Meiotic cohesin STAG3 is required for chromosome axis formation and sister chromatid cohesion.
abstract: The cohesin complex is essential for mitosis and meiosis. The specific meiotic roles of individual cohesin proteins are incompletely understood. We report in vivo functions of the only meiosis-specific STAG component of cohesin, STAG3. Newly generated STAG3-deficient mice of both sexes are sterile with meiotic arrest. In these mice, meiotic chromosome architecture is severely disrupted as no bona fide axial elements (AE) form and homologous chromosomes do not synapse. Axial element protein SYCP3 forms dot-like structures, many partially overlapping with centromeres. Asynapsis marker HORMAD1 is diffusely distributed throughout the chromatin, and SYCP1, which normally marks synapsed axes, is largely absent. Centromeric and telomeric sister chromatid cohesion are impaired. Centromere and telomere clustering occurs in the absence of STAG3, and telomere structure is not severely affected. Other cohesin proteins are present, localize throughout the STAG3-devoid chromatin, and form complexes with cohesin SMC1β. No other deficiency in a single meiosis-specific cohesin causes a phenotype as drastic as STAG3 deficiency. STAG3 emerges as the key STAG cohesin involved in major functions of meiotic cohesin.
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Physiological Chemistry Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Tristan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Winters
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Physiological Chemistry Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McNicoll
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Institute of Physiological Chemistry Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany rolf.jessberger@tu-dresden.de.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jessberger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002503:Centromere / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002842:Chromatids / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000235:genetics*; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013573:Synaptonemal Complex / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000097722:Cohesins
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D000097722:Cohesins; C498637:Stag3 protein, mouse
keywords: chromosomes; cohesin; meiosis; oocytes; spermatocytes