We used a functional genomics approach to identify a gene required for meiotic recombination, YGL183c or MND1. MND1 was spliced in meiotic cells, extending the annotated YGL183c ORF N terminus by 45 aa. Saccharomyces cerevisiae mnd1-1 mutants, in which the majority of the MND1 coding sequence was removed, arrested before the first meiotic division with a phenotype reminiscent of dmc1 mutants. P...

The hop2 mutant of S. cerevisiae displays a novel phenotype: meiotic chromosomes form nearly wild-type amounts of synaptonemal complex, but most chromosomes are engaged in synapsis with nonhomologous partners. The meiosis-specific Hop2 protein localizes to chromosomes prior to and during synapsis and in the absence of the double-strand breaks that initiate recombination. hop2 strains sustain a ...

Meiotic recombination plays a critical role in achieving accurate chromosome segregation and increasing genetic diversity. Many studies, mostly in yeast, have provided important insights into the coordination and interplay between the proteins involved in the homologous recombination pathway, especially the recombinase RAD51 and the meiosis-specific DMC1. Here we summarize the current progresse...

During meiosis, homologous chromosomes undergo synapsis and recombination. We identify TEX15 as a novel protein that is required for chromosomal synapsis and meiotic recombination. Loss of TEX15 function in mice causes early meiotic arrest in males but not in females. Specifically, TEX15-deficient spermatocytes exhibit a failure in chromosomal synapsis. In mutant spermatocytes, DNA double-stran...

The bacterial RecA protein has been the most intensively studied enzyme in homologous genetic recombination. The core of RecA is structurally homologous to that of the F1-ATPase and helicases. Like the F1-ATPase and ring helicases, RecA forms a hexameric ring. The human Dmc1 (hDmc1) protein, a meiosis-specific recombinase, is homologous to RecA. We show that hDmc1 forms octameric rings. Unlike ...