An E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, Rad6, working with an E3 ubiquitin ligase Bre1, catalyzes monoubiquitylation of histone H2B on a C-terminal lysine residue. The rad6 mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae shows a meiotic prophase arrest. Here, we analyzed meiotic defects of a rad6 null mutant of budding yeast. The rad6 mutant exhibits pleiotropic phenotypes during meiosis. RAD6 is required for e...

During first meiotic prophase, homologous chromosomes are normally kept together by both crossovers and synaptonemal complexes (SC). In most eukaryotes, the SC disassembles at diplotene, leaving chromosomes joined by chiasmata. The correct co-orientation of bivalents at metaphase I and the reductional segregation at anaphase I are facilitated by chiasmata and sister-chromatid cohesion. In the a...

During meiosis, formation and repair of programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) create genetic exchange between homologous chromosomes-a process that is critical for reductional meiotic chromosome segregation and the production of genetically diverse sexually reproducing populations. Meiotic DSB formation is a complex process, requiring numerous proteins, of which Spo11 is the evolutionarily...

Candida albicans has an elaborate, yet efficient, mating system that promotes conjugation between diploid a and alpha strains. The product of mating is a tetraploid a/alpha cell that must undergo a reductional division to return to the diploid state. Despite the presence of several "meiosis-specific" genes in the C. albicans genome, a meiotic program has not been observed. Instead, tetraploid p...

In all organisms, type II DNA topoisomerases are essential for untangling chromosomal DNA. We have determined the structure of the DNA-binding core of the Methanococcus jannaschii DNA topoisomerase VI A subunit at 2.0 A resolution. The overall structure of this subunit is unique, demonstrating that archaeal type II enzymes are distinct from other type II topoisomerases. However, the core struct...

Crossovers produced by homologous recombination promote accurate chromosome segregation in meiosis and are controlled such that at least one forms per chromosome pair and multiple crossovers are widely spaced. Recombination initiates with an excess number of double-strand breaks made by Spo11 protein. Thus, crossover control involves a decision by which some breaks give crossovers while others ...

The budding yeast genome contains regions where meiotic recombination initiates more frequently than in others. This pattern parallels enrichment for the meiotic chromosome axis proteins Hop1 and Red1. These proteins are important for Spo11-catalyzed double strand break formation; their contribution to crossover recombination remains undefined. Using the sequence-specific VMA1-derived endonucle...