scholarly journals Altering the Binding Properties of PRDM9 Partially Restores Fertility across the Species Boundary

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Davies ◽  
Anjali Gupta Hinch ◽  
Alberto Cebrian-Serrano ◽  
Samy Alghadban ◽  
Philipp W Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Pairing ◽  
Genetic Manipulation ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Male Meiosis ◽  
Mus Spretus ◽  
Partial Restoration ◽  
Chromosome Synapsis ◽  
Male Hybrid ◽  
Lock In ◽  
Restoration Of Fertility

Abstract Sterility or subfertility of male hybrid offspring is commonly observed. This phenomenon contributes to reproductive barriers between the parental populations, an early step in the process of speciation. One frequent cause of such infertility is a failure of proper chromosome pairing during male meiosis. In subspecies of the house mouse, the likelihood of successful chromosome synapsis is improved by the binding of the histone methyltransferase PRDM9 to both chromosome homologs at matching positions. Using genetic manipulation, we altered PRDM9 binding to occur more often at matched sites, and find that chromosome pairing defects can be rescued, not only in an intersubspecific cross, but also between distinct species. Using different engineered variants, we demonstrate a quantitative link between the degree of matched homolog binding, chromosome synapsis, and rescue of fertility in hybrids between Mus musculus and Mus spretus. The resulting partial restoration of fertility reveals additional mechanisms at play that act to lock-in the reproductive isolation between these two species.

scholarly journals Unexpected genomic, biosynthetic and species diversity of Streptomyces bacteria from bats in Arizona and New Mexico, USA

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cooper J. Park ◽  
Nicole A. Caimi ◽  
Debbie C. Buecher ◽  
Ernest W. Valdez ◽  
Diana E. Northup ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Genetic Manipulation ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene Cluster ◽  
Genomic Variation ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Peptide Synthetases ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Diversity Estimates

Abstract Background Antibiotic-producing Streptomyces bacteria are ubiquitous in nature, yet most studies of its diversity have focused on free-living strains inhabiting diverse soil environments and those in symbiotic relationship with invertebrates. Results We studied the draft genomes of 73 Streptomyces isolates sampled from the skin (wing and tail membranes) and fur surfaces of bats collected in Arizona and New Mexico. We uncovered large genomic variation and biosynthetic potential, even among closely related strains. The isolates, which were initially identified as three distinct species based on sequence variation in the 16S rRNA locus, could be distinguished as 41 different species based on genome-wide average nucleotide identity. Of the 32 biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) classes detected, non-ribosomal peptide synthetases, siderophores, and terpenes were present in all genomes. On average, Streptomyces genomes carried 14 distinct classes of BGCs (range = 9–20). Results also revealed large inter- and intra-species variation in gene content (single nucleotide polymorphisms, accessory genes and singletons) and BGCs, further contributing to the overall genetic diversity present in bat-associated Streptomyces. Finally, we show that genome-wide recombination has partly contributed to the large genomic variation among strains of the same species. Conclusions Our study provides an initial genomic assessment of bat-associated Streptomyces that will be critical to prioritizing those strains with the greatest ability to produce novel antibiotics. It also highlights the need to recognize within-species variation as an important factor in genetic manipulation studies, diversity estimates and drug discovery efforts in Streptomyces.

scholarly journals Distinct prophase arrest mechanisms in human male meiosis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Z. Jan ◽  
Aldo Jongejan ◽  
Cindy M. Korver ◽  
Saskia K. M. van Daalen ◽  
Ans M. M. van Pelt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genomic Stability ◽  
Male Meiosis ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Meiotic Arrest ◽  
Homologous Chromosomes ◽  
Xy Body ◽  
Chromosome Synapsis ◽  
Human Male ◽  
Meiotic Crossover

To prevent chromosomal aberrations to be transmitted to the offspring, strict meiotic checkpoints are in place to remove aberrant spermatocytes. However, in about 1% of all males these checkpoints cause complete meiotic arrest leading to azoospermia and subsequent infertility. We here unravel two clearly distinct meiotic arrest mechanisms that act during the prophase of human male meiosis. Type I arrested spermatocytes display severe asynapsis of the homologous chromosomes, disturbed XY-body formation and increased expression of the Y-chromosome encoded gene ZFY and seem to activate a DNA damage pathway leading to induction of p63 mediated spermatocyte elimination. Type II arrested spermatocytes display normal chromosome synapsis, normal XY-body morphology and meiotic crossover formation but have a lowered expression of several cell cycle regulating genes and fail to properly silence the X-chromosome encoded gene ZFX. Discovery and understanding of these meiotic arrest mechanisms increases our knowledge on how genomic stability is guarded during human germ cell development.

scholarly journals Male meiotic spindle features that efficiently segregate paired and lagging chromosomes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunar Fabig ◽  
Robert Kiewisz ◽  
Norbert Lindow ◽  
James A. Powers ◽  
Vanessa Cota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Chromosome Pairing ◽  
Electron Tomography ◽  
Male Meiosis ◽  
Meiotic Spindle ◽  
Sperm Production ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Anaphase Onset ◽  
Unpaired Chromosome ◽  
Anaphase B

AbstractChromosome segregation during male meiosis is tailored to rapidly generate multitudes of sperm. Little, however, is known about the mechanisms that efficiently segregate chromosomes to produce sperm. Using live imaging in Caenorhabditis elegans, we find that spermatocytes exhibit simultaneous pole-to-chromosome shortening (anaphase A) and pole-to-pole elongation (anaphase B). Electron tomography unexpectedly revealed that spermatocyte anaphase A does not stem from kinetochore microtubule shortening. Instead, movement is driven by changes in distance between chromosomes, microtubules, and centrosomes upon tension release at anaphase onset. We also find that the lagging X chromosome, a distinctive feature of anaphase I in C. elegans males, is due to lack of chromosome pairing. The unpaired chromosome remains tethered to centrosomes by continuously lengthening kinetochore microtubules which are under tension, suggesting a ‘tug of war’ that can reliably resolve chromosome lagging. Overall, we define features that partition both paired and lagging chromosomes for optimal sperm production.

scholarly journals Interfered Chromosome Pairing Promotes Meiosis Instability of Autotetraploid Arabidopsis by High Temperatures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiqi Fu ◽  
Jiayi Zhao ◽  
Ziming Ren ◽  
Ke Yang ◽  
Chong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Chromosome Pairing ◽  
Environmental Temperature ◽  
Oryza Sativa L ◽  
Male Meiosis ◽  
Crossing Over ◽  
Autotetraploid Rice ◽  
Increased Temperature ◽  
Chromosome Separation ◽  
The Impact

Alterations of environmental temperature affect multiple meiosis processes in flowering plants. Polyploid plants derived from whole genome duplication (WGD) have enhanced genetic plasticity and tolerance to environmental stress, but meanwhile face a challenge for organization and segregation of doubled chromosome sets. In this study, we investigated the impact of increased environmental temperature on male meiosis in autotetraploid Arabidopsis thaliana. Under low to mildly-increased temperatures (5-28°C), irregular chromosome segregation universally takes place in synthesized autotetraploid Columbia-0 (Col-0). Similar meiosis lesions occur in autotetraploid rice (Oryza sativa L.) and allotetraploid canola (Brassica napus cv. Westar), but not in evolutionary-derived hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum). As temperature increases to extremely high, chromosome separation and tetrad formation are severely disordered due to univalent formation caused by suppressed crossing-over. We found a strong correlation between tetravalent formation and successful chromosome pairing, both of which are negatively correlated with temperature elevation, suggesting that increased temperature interferes with crossing-over prominently by impacting homolog pairing. Besides, we showed that loading irregularities of axis proteins ASY1 and ASY4 co-localize on the chromosomes of syn1 mutant, and the heat-stressed diploid and autotetraploid Col-0, revealing that heat stress affects lateral region of synaptonemal complex (SC) by impacting stability of axis. Moreover, we showed that chromosome axis and SC in autotetraploid Col-0 are more sensitive to increased temperature than that of diploid Arabidopsis. Taken together, our study provide evidence suggesting that WGD without evolutionary and/or natural adaption negatively affects stability and thermal tolerance of meiotic recombination in Arabidopsis thaliana.

scholarly journals Dmc1 is a candidate for temperature tolerance during wheat meiosis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracie Draeger ◽  
Azahara Martin ◽  
Abdul Kader Alabdullah ◽  
Ali Pendle ◽  
María-Dolores Rey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperatures ◽  
Chromosome Pairing ◽  
Meiotic Recombination ◽  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Chinese Spring ◽  
Deletion Mutant ◽  
Meiotic Chromosome ◽  
Wheat Chromosome ◽  
Chromosome Synapsis ◽  
Recombination Gene

AbstractWe have assessed the effects of high and low temperatures on meiotic chromosome synapsis and crossover formation in the hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) variety ‘Chinese Spring’. At low temperatures, asynapsis and chromosome univalence have been observed before in Chinese Spring lines lacking the long arm of chromosome 5D (5DL), which led to the proposal that 5DL carries a gene (Ltp1) that stabilises wheat chromosome pairing at low temperatures. In the current study, Chinese Spring wild type and 5DL interstitial deletion mutant plants were exposed to low (13°C) or high (30°C) temperatures in controlled environment rooms during a period from premeiotic interphase to early meiosis I. A 5DL deletion mutant was identified whose meiotic chromosomes exhibit extremely high levels of asynapsis and chromosome univalence at metaphase I after seven days at 13°C. This suggests that the mutant, which we name ttmei1 (temperature tolerance in meiosis 1) has a deletion of a gene that, like Ltp1, normally stabilises chromosome pairing at low temperatures. Immunolocalisation of the meiotic proteins ASY1 and ZYP1 on ttmei1 mutants showed that low temperature results in a failure to complete synapsis at pachytene. After 24 hours at 30°C, ttmei1 mutants exhibited a reduced number of crossovers and increased univalence, but to a lesser extent than at 13°C. KASP genotyping revealed that ttmei1 has a 4 Mb deletion in 5DL. Of 41 genes within this deletion region, the strongest candidate for the stabilisation of chromosome pairing at low (and possibly high) temperatures is the meiotic recombination gene Dmc1.Key messageThe meiotic recombination gene Dmc1 on wheat chromosome 5D has been identified as a candidate for the maintenance of normal chromosome synapsis and crossover at low and possibly high temperatures.

A- and B-chromosome pairing and recombination in male meiosis of the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes L., 1758, Carnivora, Canidae)

2010 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 689-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina A. Basheva ◽  
Anna A. Torgasheva ◽  
Galia R. Sakaeva ◽  
Claudio Bidau ◽  
Pavel M. Borodin
Keyword(s):  
Chromosome Pairing ◽  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
B Chromosome ◽  
Male Meiosis ◽  
Silver Fox

Comparative analysis of female and male meiosis in three meiotic mutants of tomato

Genome ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 879-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis W. J. Havekes ◽  
J. Hans de Jong ◽  
Christa Heyting
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Chromosome Pairing ◽  
Meiotic Prophase ◽  
Chiasma Frequency ◽  
Chiasma Formation ◽  
Male Meiosis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Female Meiosis ◽  
Similar Reduction ◽  
Meiotic Mutants

Female meiosis was analysed in squash preparations of ovules from three meiotic mutants and wild-type plants of tomato. In the completely asynaptic mutant as6, chromosome pairing and chiasma formation were virtually absent in both sexes. In the partially asynaptic mutant asb, with intermediate levels of chromosome pairing at pachytene, there were a higher number of chiasmate chromosome arms in female meiosis than in male meiosis, whereas in the desynaptic mutant as5 there were normal levels of chromosome pairing at pachytene and a similar reduction in chiasma frequency in the two sexes. In wild-type tomato, we found slightly higher numbers of chiasmate chromosome arms in female meiosis than in male meiosis. We propose that the higher female chiasma frequencies in mutant asb and wild-type tomato result from a longer duration of female meiotic prophase. This would allow chromosomes more time to pair and recombine. It is possible that a longer duration of prophase I does not affect mutants as5 and as6, either because the meiotic defect acts before the pairing process begins (in as6) or because it acts at a later stage and involves chiasma maintenance (in as5).Key words: female meiosis, tomato, chiasma, mutant.

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