title: The condensin complexes play distinct roles to ensure normal chromosome morphogenesis during meiotic division in Arabidopsis.
abstract: Meiosis is a specialized cell division essential for sexual reproduction. During meiosis the chromosomes are highly organized, and correct chromosome architecture is required for faithful segregation of chromosomes at anaphase I and II. Condensin is involved in chromosome organization during meiotic and mitotic cell divisions. Three condensin subunits, AtSMC4 and the condensin I and II specific subunits AtCAP-D2 and AtCAP-D3, respectively, have been studied for their role in meiosis. This has revealed that both the condensin I and condensin II complexes are required to maintain normal structural integrity of the meiotic chromosomes during the two nuclear divisions. Their roles appear functionally distinct in that condensin I is required to maintain normal compaction of the centromeric repeats and 45S rDNA, whereas loss of condensin II was associated with extensive interchromosome connections at metaphase I. Depletion of condensin is also associated with a slight reduction in crossover formation, suggesting a role during meiotic prophase I.
authors: School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK; School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
authors: Sarah J
authors: SJ
authors: Smith
authors: Kim
authors: K
authors: Osman
authors: F Christopher H
authors: FC
authors: Franklin
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000502:physiology*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D002503:Centromere; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant; D018744:DNA, Plant; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006579:Heterozygote; D008540:Meiosis; D009024:Morphogenesis; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018744:DNA, Plant; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; C108312:condensin complexes; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases
keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; chromosome segregation; condensin complex; meiosis; recombination