GSE26449
Genome-wide mapping of meiotic double-strand breaks by sequencing Spo11 oligos.
The nonrandom distribution of meiotic recombination shapes patterns of inheritance and  genome evolution, but chromosomal features governing this distribution are poorly understood.  Formation of the DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that initiate recombination results in  accumulation of Spo11 protein covalently bound to small DNA fragments. We show here that  sequencing these fragments provides a genome-wide DSB map of unprecedented resolution  and sensitivity. We use this map to explore the influence of large-scale chromosome structures,  chromatin, transcription factors, and local sequence composition on DSB distributions. Our  analysis supports the view that the recombination terrain is molded by combinatorial and  hierarchical interaction of factors that work on widely different size scales. Mechanistic aspects  of DSB formation and early processing steps are also uncovered. This map illuminates the  occurrence of DSBs in repetitive DNA elements, repair of which can lead to chromosomal  rearrangements. We discuss implications for evolutionary dynamics of recombination hotspots. Overall design: We deep sequenced 4 samples of Spo11 oligos on Roche 454 platform. Three samples are technical replicates of Spo11 oligo products prepared from one meiotic culture and the fourth sample was prepared from an independent culture.