Interhomolog polymorphism shapes meiotic crossover within RAC1 and RPP13 disease resistance genes

During meiosis chromosomes undergo DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), which can produce crossovers via interhomolog repair. Meiotic recombination frequency is variable along chromosomes and concentrates in narrow hotspots. We mapped crossovers within Arabidopsis thaliana hotspots located within the RAC1 and RPP13 disease resistance genes, using varying haplotypic combinations. We observed a negative non-linear relationship between interhomolog divergence and crossover frequency, consistent with polymorphism suppressing crossover repair of DSBs. Anti-recombinase mutants fancm, recq4a recq4b, figl1 and msh2, or lines with increased HEI10 dosage, are known to show increased crossovers. Surprisingly, RAC1 crossovers were either unchanged or decreased in these genetic backgrounds. We employed deep-sequencing of crossovers to examine recombination topology within RAC1, in wild type, fancm and recq4a recq4b mutant backgrounds. The RAC1 recombination landscape was broadly conserved in anti-recombinase mutants and showed a negative relationship with interhomolog divergence. However, crossovers at the RAC1 5’-end were relatively suppressed in recq4a recq4b backgrounds, indicating that local context influences recombination outcomes. Our results demonstrate the importance of interhomolog divergence in shaping recombination within plant disease resistance genes and crossover hotspots.