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Comptes Rendus Biologies 2016Meiosis is a specialized cell division at the origin of the haploid cells that eventually develop into the gametes. It therefore lies at the heart of Mendelian heredity.... (Review)
Review
Meiosis is a specialized cell division at the origin of the haploid cells that eventually develop into the gametes. It therefore lies at the heart of Mendelian heredity. Recombination and redistribution of the homologous chromosomes arising during meiosis constitute an important source of genetic diversity, conferring to meiosis a particularly important place in the evolution and the diversification of the species. Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing meiotic recombination has considerably progressed these last decades, benefiting from complementary approaches led on various model species. An overview of these mechanisms will be provided as well as a discussion on the implications of these recent discoveries.
Topics: Animals; Chromosome Segregation; Chromosomes; Genetics; Humans; Meiosis; Recombination, Genetic
PubMed: 27180110
DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2016.04.003 -
Annual Review of Genetics 1995Meiotic recombination occurs more frequently in some regions of the eukaryotic genome than in others, with variations of several orders of magnitude observed in... (Review)
Review
Meiotic recombination occurs more frequently in some regions of the eukaryotic genome than in others, with variations of several orders of magnitude observed in frequencies of meiotic exchange per unit physical distance. This article reviews what is known abut meiotic recombination hotspots loci, or regions that display a greater than average frequency of meiotic exchange. Hotspots have been most intensively studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is a major focus of this article. Also reviewed is the current state of knowledge regarding hotspots in other fungi, in maize, in nematodes, in mice, and in humans.
Topics: Animals; Binding Sites; Fungi; Humans; Meiosis; Plants; Recombination, Genetic
PubMed: 8825482
DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ge.29.120195.002231 -
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in... Oct 2015The study of homologous recombination has its historical roots in meiosis. In this context, recombination occurs as a programmed event that culminates in the formation... (Review)
Review
The study of homologous recombination has its historical roots in meiosis. In this context, recombination occurs as a programmed event that culminates in the formation of crossovers, which are essential for accurate chromosome segregation and create new combinations of parental alleles. Thus, meiotic recombination underlies both the independent assortment of parental chromosomes and genetic linkage. This review highlights the features of meiotic recombination that distinguish it from recombinational repair in somatic cells, and how the molecular processes of meiotic recombination are embedded and interdependent with the chromosome structures that characterize meiotic prophase. A more in-depth review presents our understanding of how crossover and noncrossover pathways of meiotic recombination are differentiated and regulated. The final section of this review summarizes the studies that have defined defective recombination as a leading cause of pregnancy loss and congenital disease in humans.
Topics: Chromosomes; Crossing Over, Genetic; DNA; DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; Endonucleases; Female; Humans; Maternal Age; Meiosis; Models, Genetic; Recombination, Genetic; Reproduction
PubMed: 26511629
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a016618 -
Trends in Genetics : TIG May 2019Despite the universal importance of meiotic recombination for generating genetic diversity, numbers and distribution of recombination events along chromosomes vary among... (Review)
Review
Despite the universal importance of meiotic recombination for generating genetic diversity, numbers and distribution of recombination events along chromosomes vary among species, genotypes within species, and between sexes. Some interspecies differences stem from the diversity of genome size and composition among eukaryotes. Large-genome species, such as humans and most crops, display recombination landscapes that are different from those of small-genome yeasts. Chromatin patterns, including histone modifications and DNA methylation, are also responsible for interspecies differences as well as differences between the sexes. Finally, despite the overall recombination pathway conservation, there are species-specific components that result in distinct recombination patterns. Consequently, characteristics that are defining for the recombination landscape and universally shared by all eukaryotes remain largely to be discovered.
Topics: Biodiversity; Chromatin; Crossing Over, Genetic; Genetic Association Studies; Homologous Recombination; Humans; Meiosis; Polyploidy; Recombination, Genetic; Species Specificity
PubMed: 30948240
DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2019.02.002 -
Current Opinion in Plant Biology Apr 2016Homologous recombination affects genome evolution through crossover, gene conversion and point mutations. Whole genome sequencing together with a detailed epigenome... (Review)
Review
Homologous recombination affects genome evolution through crossover, gene conversion and point mutations. Whole genome sequencing together with a detailed epigenome analysis have shed new light on our understanding of how meiotic recombination shapes plant genes and genome structure. Crossover events are associated with DNA sequence motifs, together with an open chromatin signature (hypomethylated CpGs, low nucleosome occupancy or specific histone modifications). The crossover landscape may differ between male and female meiocytes and between species. At the gene level, crossovers occur preferentially in promoter regions in Arabidopsis. In recent years, there is rising support suggesting that biased mismatch repair during meiotic recombination may increase GC content genome-wide and may be responsible for the GC content gradient found in many plant genes.
Topics: Chromatin; Crossing Over, Genetic; DNA, Plant; Epigenesis, Genetic; Genome, Plant; Meiosis; Recombination, Genetic
PubMed: 26939088
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2016.02.003 -
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in... May 2015Recombination is a prominent feature of meiosis in which it plays an important role in increasing genetic diversity during inheritance. Additionally, in most organisms,... (Review)
Review
Recombination is a prominent feature of meiosis in which it plays an important role in increasing genetic diversity during inheritance. Additionally, in most organisms, recombination also plays mechanical roles in chromosomal processes, most notably to mediate pairing of homologous chromosomes during prophase and, ultimately, to ensure regular segregation of homologous chromosomes when they separate at the first meiotic division. Recombinational interactions are also subject to important spatial patterning at both early and late stages. Recombination-mediated processes occur in physical and functional linkage with meiotic axial chromosome structure, with interplay in both directions, before, during, and after formation and dissolution of the synaptonemal complex (SC), a highly conserved meiosis-specific structure that links homolog axes along their lengths. These diverse processes also are integrated with recombination-independent interactions between homologous chromosomes, nonhomology-based chromosome couplings/clusterings, and diverse types of chromosome movement. This review provides an overview of these diverse processes and their interrelationships.
Topics: Animals; Chromosome Pairing; Chromosomes; DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded; Humans; Meiosis; Recombination, Genetic; Synaptonemal Complex
PubMed: 25986558
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a016626 -
Journal of Experimental Botany Nov 2017Meiosis is a specialized cell division that produces haploid gametes required for sexual reproduction. During the first meiotic division, homologous chromosomes pair and... (Review)
Review
Meiosis is a specialized cell division that produces haploid gametes required for sexual reproduction. During the first meiotic division, homologous chromosomes pair and undergo reciprocal crossing over, which recombines linked sequence variation. Meiotic recombination frequency varies extensively both within and between species. In this review, we will examine the molecular basis of meiotic recombination rate variation, with an emphasis on plant genomes. We first consider cis modification caused by polymorphisms at the site of recombination, or elsewhere on the same chromosome. We review cis effects caused by mismatches within recombining joint molecules, the effect of structural hemizygosity, and the role of specific DNA sequence motifs. In contrast, trans modification of recombination is exerted by polymorphic loci encoding diffusible molecules, which are able to modulate recombination on the same and/or other chromosomes. We consider trans modifiers that act to change total recombination levels, hotspot locations, or interactions between homologous and homeologous chromosomes in polyploid species. Finally, we consider the significance of genetic variation that modifies meiotic recombination for adaptation and evolution of plant species.
Topics: Adaptation, Biological; Biological Evolution; Genome, Plant; Homologous Recombination; Meiosis; Plants; Polymorphism, Genetic; Polyploidy
PubMed: 28992351
DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx306 -
The New Phytologist Feb 20171022 I. 1022 II. 1023 III. 1023 IV. 1025 V. 1026 1027 References 1027 SUMMARY: Meiosis is fundamental to sexual reproduction and creates genetic variation in progeny.... (Review)
Review
1022 I. 1022 II. 1023 III. 1023 IV. 1025 V. 1026 1027 References 1027 SUMMARY: Meiosis is fundamental to sexual reproduction and creates genetic variation in progeny. During meiosis paired homologous chromosomes undergo recombination, which can result in reciprocal crossovers. This process can recombine independently arising mutations onto the same chromosome. Recombination locations are highly variable between meioses, although total crossover numbers are tightly regulated. In addition to the effect of meiosis on genetic variation, sequence polymorphisms between homologous chromosomes can feedback onto the recombination pathways. Here we review the major crossover pathways in plants and some of the known homeostatic mechanisms that act during meiotic recombination. We then examine how sequence polymorphisms between homologous chromosomes, that is, heterozygosity, can influence meiotic recombination pathways in cis and trans. Finally, we provide a brief perspective on the relevance of these interconnections for natural selection and adaptation in plants.
Topics: Base Sequence; Feedback; Genome, Plant; Meiosis; Polymorphism, Genetic; Recombination, Genetic
PubMed: 27861941
DOI: 10.1111/nph.14265 -
Genome Dynamics 2009Efforts have been made in recent years to clarify molecular meiotic processes in a large variety of higher eukaryotes. In plants, such studies have enjoyed a boom in the... (Review)
Review
Efforts have been made in recent years to clarify molecular meiotic processes in a large variety of higher eukaryotes. In plants, such studies have enjoyed a boom in the last years with the use of Arabidopsis thaliana together with maize, rice and tomato as model systems. Owing to direct and reverse genetic screens, an increasing number of genes involved in meiosis have been characterized in plants. In parallel, the improvement of cytological and genetical tools has allowed a precise description of meiotic recombination events. Thus, it appears that meiotic studies in plants are reaching a new stage and can provide new insights into meiotic recombination mechanisms. In this review, we intend to give an overview of these recent advances in the understanding of meiotic recombination in plants.
Topics: Crossing Over, Genetic; Genetic Markers; Meiosis; Models, Genetic; Plant Cells; Plants; Recombination, Genetic
PubMed: 18948704
DOI: 10.1159/000166616 -
Science China. Life Sciences Mar 2015Meiotic recombination is a deeply conserved process within eukaryotes that has a profound effect on patterns of natural genetic variation. During meiosis homologous... (Review)
Review
Meiotic recombination is a deeply conserved process within eukaryotes that has a profound effect on patterns of natural genetic variation. During meiosis homologous chromosomes pair and undergo DNA double strand breaks generated by the Spo11 endonuclease. These breaks can be repaired as crossovers that result in reciprocal exchange between chromosomes. The frequency of recombination along chromosomes is highly variable, for example, crossovers are rarely observed in heterochromatin and the centromeric regions. Recent work in plants has shown that crossover hotspots occur in gene promoters and are associated with specific chromatin modifications, including H2A.Z. Meiotic chromosomes are also organized in loop-base arrays connected to an underlying chromosome axis, which likely interacts with chromatin to organize patterns of recombination. Therefore, epigenetic information exerts a major influence on patterns of meiotic recombination along chromosomes, genetic variation within populations and evolution of plant genomes.
Topics: Chromatin; Crossing Over, Genetic; Epigenesis, Genetic; Meiosis; Plants; Recombination, Genetic
PubMed: 25651968
DOI: 10.1007/s11427-015-4811-x