During meiotic prophase, chromosomes must undergo highly regulated recombination events, some of which lead to reciprocal exchanges. In yeast, MSH4, a meiosis-specific homologue of the bacterial MutS protein, is required for meiotic recombination. In mice, disruption of the Msh4 gene results in male and female infertility due to meiotic failure. To date, the implication of MSH4 mutations has no...

Meiotic crossovers (COs) generate genetic diversity and are critical for the correct completion of meiosis in most species. Their occurrence is tightly constrained but the mechanisms underlying this limitation remain poorly understood. Here we identified the conserved AAA-ATPase FIDGETIN-LIKE-1 (FIGL1) as a negative regulator of meiotic CO formation. We show that Arabidopsis FIGL1 limits CO for...

The RAD52 epistasis group genes are involved in homologous recombination, and they are conserved from yeast to humans. We have cloned a novel human gene, RAD54B, which is homologous to yeast and human RAD54. Human Rad54B (hRad54B) shares high homology with human Rad54 (hRad54) in the central region containing the helicase motifs characteristic of the SNF2/SWI2 family of proteins, but the N-term...

BACKGROUND In Plasmodium, meiosis occurs in diploid zygotes as they develop into haploid motile ookinetes inside the mosquito. Further sporogonic development involves transformation of ookinetes into oocysts and formation of infective sporozoites. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Reverse genetics was employed to examine the role of the meiotic specific recombinase Dmc1, a bacterial RecA homolog...

DNA homologous recombination is fundamental process by which two homologous DNA molecules exchange the genetic information for the generation of genetic diversity and maintain the genomic integrity. DNA recombinases, a special group of proteins bind to single stranded DNA (ssDNA) nonspecifically and search the double stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecule for a stretch of DNA that is homologous with the...

A double-strand break in genomic DNA that remains unrepaired can be lethal for a cell. Indeed, the integrity of the genome is paramount for survival. It is therefore surprising that some cells deliberately introduce double-strand breaks at certain times during their life cycle. Why might they do this? What are the benefits? How are these breaks repaired? The answers to these questions lie in un...