Genetics, Vol. 168, 1275-1292, November 2004, Copyright © 2004
doi:10.1534/genetics.104.030700

Chromosome-Wide Regulation of Meiotic Crossover Formation in Caenorhabditis elegans Requires Properly Assembled Chromosome Axes

Department of Developmental Biology and Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305

1 Corresponding author: Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Dr., B300, Beckman Center, Stanford, CA 94305-5329.
E-mail: villen{at}cmgm.stanford.edu

Most sexually reproducing organisms depend on the regulated formation of crossovers, and the consequent chiasmata, to accomplish successful segregation of homologous chromosomes at the meiosis I division. A robust, chromosome-wide crossover control system limits chromosome pairs to one crossover in most meioses in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans; this system has been proposed to rely on structural integrity of meiotic chromosome axes. Here, we test this hypothesis using a mutant, him-3(me80), that assembles reduced levels of meiosis-specific axis component HIM-3 along cohesin-containing chromosome axes. Whereas pairing, synapsis, and crossing over are eliminated when HIM-3 is absent, the him-3(me80) mutant supports assembly of synaptonemal complex protein SYP-1 along some paired chromosomes, resulting in partial competence for chiasma formation. We present both genetic and cytological evidence indicating that the him-3(me80) mutation leads to an increased incidence of meiotic products with two crossovers. These results indicate that limiting the amount of a major axis component results in a reduced capacity to communicate the presence of a (nascent) crossover and/or to discourage others in response.




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