Meiotic cohesin-based chromosome structure is essential for homologous chromosome pairing in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
Chromosome structure is dramatically altered upon entering meiosis to establish chromosomal architectures necessary for the successful progression of meiosis-specific events. An early meiotic event involves the replacement of the non-SMC mitotic cohesins with their meiotic equivalents in most part of the chromosome, forming an axis on meiotic chromosomes. We previously demonstrated that the meiotic cohesin complex is required for chromosome compaction during meiotic prophase in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. These studies revealed that chromosomes are elongated in the absence of the meiotic cohesin subunit Rec8 and shortened in the absence of the cohesin-associated protein Pds5. In this study, using super-resolution structured illumination microscopy, we found that Rec8 forms a linear axis on chromosomes, which is required for the organized axial structure of chromatin during meiotic prophase. In the absence of Pds5, the Rec8 axis is shortened whereas chromosomes are widened. In rec8 or pds5 mutants, the frequency of homologous chromosome pairing is reduced. Thus, Rec8 and Pds5 play an essential role in building a platform to support the chromosome architecture necessary for the spatial alignment of homologous chromosomes.
Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho Nishi-ku, Kobe, 651-2492, Japan.
Da-Qiao
DQ
Ding
Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho Nishi-ku, Kobe, 651-2492, Japan.|Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Japan.
Atsushi
A
Matsuda
Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho Nishi-ku, Kobe, 651-2492, Japan.
Kasumi
K
Okamasa
Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho Nishi-ku, Kobe, 651-2492, Japan.
Yuki
Y
Nagahama
Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho Nishi-ku, Kobe, 651-2492, Japan.|Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Japan.
Tokuko
T
Haraguchi
Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho Nishi-ku, Kobe, 651-2492, Japan. hiraoka@fbs.osaka-u.ac.jp.|Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Japan. hiraoka@fbs.osaka-u.ac.jp.
Yasushi
Y
Hiraoka
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D023902:Chromosome Pairing; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D008540:Meiosis; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012568:Schizosaccharomyces / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097722:Cohesins
D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; C499666:pds5 protein, S pombe; C077081:REC8 protein, S pombe; D000097722:Cohesins
Cohesin; Fission yeast; Homologous chromosome; Meiosis; Pairing; Recombination