Seeding the meiotic DNA break machinery and initiating recombination on chromosome axes.

Programmed DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation is a crucial feature of meiosis in most organisms. DSBs initiate recombination-mediated linking of homologous chromosomes, which enables correct chromosome segregation in meiosis. DSBs are generated on chromosome axes by heterooligomeric focal clusters of DSB-factors. Whereas DNA-driven protein condensation is thought to assemble the DSB-machinery, its targeting to chromosome axes is poorly understood. We uncover in mice that efficient biogenesis of DSB-machinery clusters requires seeding by axial IHO1 platforms. Both IHO1 phosphorylation and formation of axial IHO1 platforms are diminished by chemical inhibition of DBF4-dependent kinase (DDK), suggesting that DDK contributes to the control of the axial DSB-machinery. Furthermore, we show that axial IHO1 platforms are based on an interaction between IHO1 and the chromosomal axis component HORMAD1. IHO1-HORMAD1-mediated seeding of the DSB-machinery on axes ensures sufficiency of DSBs for efficient pairing of homologous chromosomes. Without IHO1-HORMAD1 interaction, residual DSBs depend on ANKRD31, which enhances both the seeding and the growth of DSB-machinery clusters. Thus, recombination initiation is ensured by complementary pathways that differentially support seeding and growth of DSB-machinery clusters, thereby synergistically enabling DSB-machinery condensation on chromosomal axes.

Uncharted territories: Solving the mysteries of male meiosis in flies.

The segregation of homologous chromosomes during meiosis typically requires tight end-to-end chromosome pairing. However, in Drosophila spermatogenesis, male flies segregate their chromosomes without classic synaptonemal complex formation and without recombination, instead compartmentalizing homologs into subnuclear domains known as chromosome territories (CTs). How homologs find each other in the nucleus and are separated into CTs has been one of the biggest riddles in chromosome biology. Here, we discuss our current understanding of pairing and CT formation in flies and review recent data on how homologs are linked and partitioned during meiosis in male flies.

Meiosis: The silk moth and the elephant.

In most eukaryotes, balanced chromosome segregation at meiosis requires crossovers, but female Bombyx mori lack these structures. Instead, the synaptonemal complex is repurposed to compensate for this absence of crossovers, a remarkable example of exaptation.

The N-terminal modification of HORMAD2 causes its ectopic persistence on synapsed chromosomes without meiotic blockade.

In brief: The dissociation of HORMA domain protein 2 (HORMAD2) from the synaptonemal complex is tightly regulated. This study reveals that the N-terminal region of HORMAD2 is critical for its dissociation from synapsed meiotic chromosomes. Abstract: During meiosis, homologous chromosomes undergo synapsis and recombination. HORMA domain proteins regulate key processes in meiosis. Mammalian HORMAD1 and HORMAD2 localize to unsynapsed chromosome axes but are removed upon synapsis by the TRIP13 AAA+ ATPase. TRIP13 engages the N-terminal region of HORMA domain proteins to induce an open conformation, resulting in the disassembly of protein complexes. Here, we report introduction of a 3×FLAG-HA tag to the N-terminus of HORMAD2 in mice. Coimmunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry identified HORMAD1 and SYCP2 as HORMAD2-associated proteins in the testis. Unexpectedly, the N-terminal tagging of HORMAD2 resulted in its abnormal persistence along synapsed regions in pachynema and ectopic localization to telomeres in diplonema. Super-resolution microscopy revealed that 3×FLAG-HA-HORMAD2 was distributed along the central region of the synaptonemal complex, whereas wild-type HORMAD1 persisted along the lateral elements in 3×FLAG-HA-HORMAD2 meiocytes. Although homozygous mice completed meiosis and were fertile, homozygous males exhibited a significant reduction in sperm count. Collectively, these results suggest that the N-terminus of HORMAD2 is important for its timely removal from meiotic chromosome axes.

Skp1 proteins are structural components of the synaptonemal complex in C. elegans.

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a zipper-like protein assembly that links homologous chromosomes to regulate recombination and segregation during meiosis. The SC has been notoriously refractory to in vitro reconstitution, thus leaving its molecular organization largely unknown. Here, we report a moonlighting function of two paralogous S-phase kinase-associated protein 1 (Skp1)-related proteins (SKR-1 and SKR-2), well-known adaptors of the Skp1-Cul1-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase, as the key missing components of the SC in Caenorhabditis elegans. SKR proteins repurpose their SCF-forming interfaces to dimerize and interact with meiosis-specific SC proteins, thereby driving synapsis independent of SCF activity. SKR-1 enables the formation of the long-sought-after soluble complex with previously identified SC proteins in vitro, which we propose it to represent a complete SC building block. Our findings demonstrate how a conserved cell cycle regulator has been co-opted to interact with rapidly evolving meiotic proteins to construct the SC and provide a foundation for understanding its structure and assembly mechanisms.

A transcriptomics-based RNAi screen for regulators of meiosis and early stages of oocyte development in Drosophila melanogaster.

A properly regulated series of developmental and meiotic events must occur to ensure the successful production of gametes. In Drosophila melanogaster ovaries, these early developmental and meiotic events include the production of the 16-cell cyst, meiotic entry, synaptonemal complex (SC) formation, recombination, and oocyte specification. In order to identify additional genes involved in early oocyte development and meiosis, we reanalyzed 3 published single-cell RNA-seq datasets from Drosophila ovaries, using vasa (germline) together with c(3)G, cona, and corolla (SC) as markers. Our analysis generated a list of 2,743 co-expressed genes. Many known SC-related and early oocyte development genes fell within the top 500 genes on this list, as ranked by the abundance and specificity of each gene's expression across individual analyses. We tested 526 available RNAi lines containing shRNA constructs in germline-compatible vectors representing 331 of the top 500 genes. We assessed targeted ovaries for SC formation and maintenance, oocyte specification, cyst development, and double-strand break dynamics. Six uncharacterized genes exhibited early developmental defects. SC and developmental defects were observed for additional genes not well characterized in the early ovary. Interestingly, in some lines with developmental delays, meiotic events could still be completed once oocyte specificity occurred indicating plasticity in meiotic timing. These data indicate that a transcriptomics approach can be used to identify genes involved in functions in a specific cell type in the Drosophila ovary.

Variant in the synaptonemal complex protein SYCE2 associates with pregnancy loss through effect on recombination.

Two-thirds of all human conceptions are lost, in most cases before clinical detection. The lack of detailed understanding of the causes of pregnancy losses constrains focused counseling for future pregnancies. We have previously shown that a missense variant in synaptonemal complex central element protein 2 (SYCE2), in a key residue for the assembly of the synaptonemal complex backbone, associates with recombination traits. Here we show that it also increases risk of pregnancy loss in a genome-wide association analysis on 114,761 women with reported pregnancy loss. We further show that the variant associates with more random placement of crossovers and lower recombination rate in longer chromosomes but higher in the shorter ones. These results support the hypothesis that some pregnancy losses are due to failures in recombination. They further demonstrate that variants with a substantial effect on the quality of recombination can be maintained in the population.

Multiple reorganizations of the lateral elements of the synaptonemal complex facilitate homolog segregation in Bombyx mori oocytes.

Although Lepidopteran females build a synaptonemal complex (SC) in pachytene, homologs do not crossover, necessitating an alternative method of homolog conjunction. In Bombyx mori oocytes, the SC breaks down at the end of pachytene, and homolog associations are maintained by a large oocyte-specific structure, which we call the bivalent bridge (BB), connecting paired homologs. The BB is derived from at least some components of the SC lateral elements (LEs). It contains the HORMAD protein HOP1 and the LE protein SYCP2 and is formed by the fusion of the two LE derivatives. As diplotene progresses, the BB increases in width and acquires a layered structure with a thick band of HOP1 separating two layers of SYCP2. The HOP1 interacting protein, PCH2, joins the BB in mid-diplotene, and by late-diplotene, it lies in the middle of the HOP1 filament. This structure is maintained through metaphase I. SYCP2 and PCH2 are lost at anaphase I, and the BB no longer connects the separating homologs. However, a key component of the BB, HOP1, remains at the metaphase I plate. These changes in organization of the BB occur simultaneously with the movement of the kinetochore protein, DSN1, from within the BB at mid-diplotene to the edge of the homologs facing the poles by metaphase I. We view these data in context of models in which SC components and regulators can be repurposed to achieve different functions, a fascinating example of evolution achieving homolog conjunction in an alternative way with recycling of SC proteins.

ZFP541 and KCTD19 regulate chromatin organization and transcription programs for male meiotic progression.

The successful progression of meiosis prophase I requires integrating information from the structural and molecular levels. In this study, we show that ZFP541 and KCTD19 work in the same genetic pathway to regulate the progression of male meiosis and thus fertility. The Zfp541 and/or Kctd19 knockout male mice show various structural and recombination defects including detached chromosome ends, aberrant localization of chromosome axis components and recombination proteins, and globally altered histone modifications. Further analyses on RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and ATAC-seq data provide molecular evidence for the above defects and reveal that ZFP541/KCTD19 activates the expression of many genes by repressing several major transcription repressors. More importantly, we reveal an unexpected role of ZFP541/KCTD19 in directly modulating chromatin organization. These results suggest that ZFP541/KCTD19 simultaneously regulates the transcription cascade and chromatin organization to ensure the coordinated progression of multiple events at chromosome structural and biochemical levels during meiosis prophase I.

A suppressor screen in C. elegans identifies a multiprotein interaction that stabilizes the synaptonemal complex.

Successful chromosome segregation into gametes depends on tightly regulated interactions between the parental chromosomes. During meiosis, chromosomes are aligned end-to-end by an interface called the synaptonemal complex, which also regulates exchanges between them. However, despite the functional and ultrastructural conservation of this essential interface, how protein-protein interactions within the synaptonemal complex regulate chromosomal interactions remains poorly understood. Here, we describe a genetic interaction in the C. elegans synaptonemal complex, comprised of short segments of three proteins, SYP-1, SYP-3, and SYP-4. We identified the interaction through a saturated suppressor screen of a mutant that destabilizes the synaptonemal complex. The specificity and tight distribution of suppressors suggest a charge-based interface that promotes interactions between synaptonemal complex subunits and, in turn, allows intimate interactions between chromosomes. Our work highlights the power of genetic studies to illuminate the mechanisms that underlie meiotic chromosome interactions.

SCEP1 and SCEP2 are two new components of the synaptonemal complex central element.

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a proteinaceous structure that forms between homologous chromosomes during meiosis prophase. The SC is widely conserved across species, but its structure and roles during meiotic recombination are still debated. While the SC central region is made up of transverse filaments and central element proteins in mammals and fungi, few central element proteins have been identified in other species. Here we report the identification of two coiled-coil proteins, SCEP1 and SCEP2, that form a complex and localize at the centre of the Arabidopsis thaliana SC. In scep1 and scep2 mutants, chromosomes are aligned but not synapsed (the ZYP1 transverse filament protein is not loaded), crossovers are increased compared with the wild type, interference is lost and heterochiasmy is strongly reduced. We thus report the identification of two plant SC central elements, and homologues of these are found in all major angiosperm clades.

SYCP1 head-to-head assembly is required for chromosome synapsis in mouse meiosis.

In almost all sexually reproducing organisms, meiotic recombination and cell division require the synapsis of homologous chromosomes by a large proteinaceous structure, the synaptonemal complex (SC). While the SC's overall structure is highly conserved across eukaryotes, its constituent proteins diverge between phyla. Transverse filament protein, SYCP1, spans the width of the SC and undergoes amino-terminal head-to-head self-assembly in vitro through a motif that is unusually highly conserved across kingdoms of life. Here, we report creation of mouse mutants, Sycp1L102E and Sycp1L106E, that target SYCP1's head-to-head interface. L106E resulted in a complete loss of synapsis, while L102E had no apparent effect on synapsis, in agreement with their differential effects on the SYCP1 head-to-head interface in molecular dynamics simulations. In Sycp1L106E mice, homologs aligned and recruited low levels of mutant SYCP1 and other SC proteins, but the absence of synapsis led to failure of crossover formation and meiotic arrest. We conclude that SYCP1's conserved head-to-head interface is essential for meiotic chromosome synapsis in vivo.

Sexual dimorphic regulation of recombination by the synaptonemal complex in C. elegans.

In sexually reproducing organisms, germ cells faithfully transmit the genome to the next generation by forming haploid gametes, such as eggs and sperm. Although most meiotic proteins are conserved between eggs and sperm, many aspects of meiosis are sexually dimorphic, including the regulation of recombination. The synaptonemal complex (SC), a large ladder-like structure that forms between homologous chromosomes, is essential for regulating meiotic chromosome organization and promoting recombination. To assess whether sex-specific differences in the SC underpin sexually dimorphic aspects of meiosis, we examined Caenorhabditis elegans SC central region proteins (known as SYP proteins) in oogenesis and spermatogenesis and uncovered sex-specific roles for the SYPs in regulating meiotic recombination. We find that SC composition, specifically SYP-2, SYP-3, SYP-5, and SYP-6, is regulated by sex-specific mechanisms throughout meiotic prophase I. During pachytene, both oocytes and spermatocytes differentially regulate the stability of SYP-2 and SYP-3 within an assembled SC. Further, we uncover that the relative amount of SYP-2 and SYP-3 within the SC is independently regulated in both a sex-specific and a recombination-dependent manner. Specifically, we find that SYP-2 regulates the early steps of recombination in both sexes, while SYP-3 controls the timing and positioning of crossover recombination events across the genomic landscape in only oocytes. Finally, we find that SYP-2 and SYP-3 dosage can influence the composition of the other SYPs in the SC via sex-specific mechanisms during pachytene. Taken together, we demonstrate dosage-dependent regulation of individual SC components with sex-specific functions in recombination. These sexual dimorphic features of the SC provide insights into how spermatogenesis and oogenesis adapted similar chromosome structures to differentially regulate and execute recombination.

Meiosis in budding yeast.

Meiosis is a specialized cell division program that is essential for sexual reproduction. The two meiotic divisions reduce chromosome number by half, typically generating haploid genomes that are packaged into gametes. To achieve this ploidy reduction, meiosis relies on highly unusual chromosomal processes including the pairing of homologous chromosomes, assembly of the synaptonemal complex, programmed formation of DNA breaks followed by their processing into crossovers, and the segregation of homologous chromosomes during the first meiotic division. These processes are embedded in a carefully orchestrated cell differentiation program with multiple interdependencies between DNA metabolism, chromosome morphogenesis, and waves of gene expression that together ensure the correct number of chromosomes is delivered to the next generation. Studies in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have established essentially all fundamental paradigms of meiosis-specific chromosome metabolism and have uncovered components and molecular mechanisms that underlie these conserved processes. Here, we provide an overview of all stages of meiosis in this key model system and highlight how basic mechanisms of genome stability, chromosome architecture, and cell cycle control have been adapted to achieve the unique outcome of meiosis.

Synaptonemal Complex in Human Biology and Disease.

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a meiosis-specific multiprotein complex that forms between homologous chromosomes during prophase of meiosis I. Upon assembly, the SC mediates the synapses of the homologous chromosomes, leading to the formation of bivalents, and physically supports the formation of programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their subsequent repair and maturation into crossovers (COs), which are essential for genome haploidization. Defects in the assembly of the SC or in the function of the associated meiotic recombination machinery can lead to meiotic arrest and human infertility. The majority of proteins and complexes involved in these processes are exclusively expressed during meiosis or harbor meiosis-specific subunits, although some have dual functions in somatic DNA repair and meiosis. Consistent with their functions, aberrant expression and malfunctioning of these genes have been associated with cancer development. In this review, we focus on the significance of the SC and their meiotic-associated proteins in human fertility, as well as how human genetic variants encoding for these proteins affect the meiotic process and contribute to infertility and cancer development.

Building the synaptonemal complex: Molecular interactions between the axis and the central region.

The successful delivery of genetic material to gametes requires tightly regulated interactions between the parental chromosomes. Central to this regulation is a conserved chromosomal interface called the synaptonemal complex (SC), which brings the parental chromosomes in close proximity along their length. While many of its components are known, the interfaces that mediate the assembly of the SC remain a mystery. Here, we survey findings from different model systems while focusing on insight gained in the nematode C. elegans. We synthesize our current understanding of the structure, dynamics, and biophysical properties of the SC and propose mechanisms for SC assembly.

Meiotic Chromosome Structure, the Synaptonemal Complex, and Infertility.

In meiosis, homologous chromosome synapsis is mediated by a supramolecular protein structure, the synaptonemal complex (SC), that assembles between homologous chromosome axes. The mammalian SC comprises at least eight largely coiled-coil proteins that interact and self-assemble to generate a long, zipper-like structure that holds homologous chromosomes in close proximity and promotes the formation of genetic crossovers and accurate meiotic chromosome segregation. In recent years, numerous mutations in human SC genes have been associated with different types of male and female infertility. Here, we integrate structural information on the human SC with mouse and human genetics to describe the molecular mechanisms by which SC mutations can result in human infertility. We outline certain themes in which different SC proteins are susceptible to different types of disease mutation and how genetic variants with seemingly minor effects on SC proteins may act as dominant-negative mutations in which the heterozygous state is pathogenic.

Meiotic DNA double-strand break-independent role of protein phosphatase 4 in Hop1 assembly to promote meiotic chromosome axis formation in budding yeast.

Dynamic changes in chromosomal structure that occur during meiotic prophase play an important role in the progression of meiosis. Among them, meiosis-specific chromosomal axis-loop structures are important as a scaffold for integrated control between the meiotic recombination reaction and the associated checkpoint system to ensure accurate chromosome segregation. However, the molecular mechanism of the initial step of chromosome axis-loop construction is not well understood. Here, we showed that, in budding yeast, protein phosphatase 4 (PP4) that primarily counteracts Mec1/Tel1 phosphorylation is required to promote the assembly of a chromosomal axis component Hop1 and Red1 onto meiotic chromatin via interaction with Hop1. PP4, on the other hand, less affects Rec8 assembly. Notably, unlike the previously known function of PP4, this PP4 function in Hop1/Red1 assembly was independent of meiotic DSB-dependent Tel1/Mec1 kinase activities. The defect in Hop1/Red1 assembly in the absence of PP4 function was not suppressed by dysfunction of Pch2, which removes Hop1 protein from the chromosome axis, suggesting that PP4 is required for the initial step of chromatin loading of Hop1 rather than stabilization of Hop1 on axes. These results indicate phosphorylation/dephosphorylation-mediated regulation of Hop1 recruitment onto chromatin during chromosome axis construction before meiotic double-strand break formation.