Synaptonemal complex formation and meiotic checkpoint signaling are linked to the lateral element protein Red1.

Christian S Eichinger, Stefan Jentsch

Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2010 Jun 22

filter terms:

Meiosis generates four haploid daughters from a diploid parental cell. Central steps of meiosis are the pairing and recombination of homologous chromosomes followed by their segregation in two rounds of cell division. Meiotic recombination is monitored by a specialized DNA damage checkpoint pathway and is guided by a unique chromosomal structure called synaptonemal complex (SC), but how these events are coordinated is unclear. Here, we identify the SC protein Red1 as a crucial regulator of early meiosis. Red1 interacts with two subunits of the 9-1-1 checkpoint complex via two distinct 9-1-1 subunit-specific motifs. Association of 9-1-1 with Red1 is essential not only for meiotic checkpoint activation but for SC formation. Moreover, Red1 becomes SUMO-modified, which fosters interaction of Red1 with the central SC element Zip1, thereby securing timely SC formation. Thus, Red1, in addition to its structural role in the SC, is a crucial coordinator of meiosis by coupling checkpoint signaling to SC formation.

Citation

Christian S Eichinger, Stefan Jentsch. Synaptonemal complex formation and meiotic checkpoint signaling are linked to the lateral element protein Red1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2010 Jun 22;107(25):11370-5