Meiosis depends on homologous recombination (HR) in most sexually reproducing organisms. Efficient meiotic HR requires the activity of the meiosis-specific recombinase, Dmc1. Previous work shows Dmc1 is expressed in Entamoeba histolytica, a eukaryotic parasite responsible for amoebiasis throughout the world, suggesting this organism undergoes meiosis. Here, we demonstrate Dmc1 protein is expres...

DMC1 is a recombinase that is essential for meiotic synapsis. Experiments in extensive species of eukaryotes have indicated the independent role of DMC1 in repairing double strand breaks (DSBs) produced during meiosis I. Mutation of dmc1 in mice and human often leads to obstacles in spermatogenesis and male sterility. Here, we report on the disruption of dmc1 in male medaka (Oryzias latipes). S...

During meiosis, self-inflicted DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are created by the protein Spo11 and repaired by homologous recombination leading to gene conversions and crossovers. Crossover formation is vital for the segregation of homologous chromosomes during the first meiotic division and requires the RecA orthologue, Dmc1. We analyzed repair during meiosis of site-specific DSBs created by ...

OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to determine whether mutations of meiotic genes, such as disrupted meiotic cDNA (DMC1), MutS homolog (MSH4), MSH5, and S. cerevisiae homolog (SPO11), were associated with premature ovarian failure (POF). DESIGN Case-control study. METHODS Blood sampling, karyotype, hormonal dosage, ultrasound, and ovarian biopsy were carried out on most patients. However...

Numerous hybrid and polypoid species are found within the Triticeae. It has been suggested that the H subgenome of allopolyploid Elymus (wheatgrass) species originated from diploid Hordeum (barley) species, but the role of hybridization between polyploid Elymus and Hordeum has not been studied. It is not clear whether gene flow across polyploid Hordeum and Elymus species has occurred following ...

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which are formed by the Spo11 protein, initiate meiotic recombination. Previous DSB-mapping studies have used rad50S or sae2Delta mutants, which are defective in break processing, to accumulate Spo11-linked DSBs, and report large (> or = 50 kb) "DSB-hot" regions that are separated by "DSB-cold" domains of similar size. Substantial recombination occurs in some DS...

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is specifically expressed during meiosis in spermatocytes. Subsets of p53 knockout mice exhibit testicular giant cell degenerative syndrome, which suggests p53 may be associated with meiotic cell cycle and/or DNA metabolism. Here, we show that p53 binds to the mouse meiosis-specific RecA-like protein Mus musculus DMC1 (MmDMC1). The C-terminal domain (amino acid ...

FEATURES One of the fundamental differences between mitotic and meiotic cells is the source of homology used to repair double strand breaks (DSBs). Recombination in vegetative cells occurs preferentially between sister chromatids to repair unexpected DNA damage. 1 In contrast, repair of programmed DSBs in meiotic cells occurs primarily between non-sister chro-matids of homologous chromosomes. 2...

Meiotic exchange occurs preferentially between homologous chromatids, in contrast to mitotic recombination, which occurs primarily between sister chromatids. To identify functions that direct meiotic recombination events to homologues, we screened for mutants exhibiting an increase in meiotic unequal sister-chromatid recombination (SCR). The msc (meiotic sister-chromatid recombination) mutants ...