First Author | Hamer G | Year | 2008 |
Journal | J Cell Sci | Volume | 121 |
Issue | Pt 15 | Pages | 2445-51 |
PubMed ID | 18611960 | Mgi Jnum | J:139993 |
Mgi Id | MGI:3810898 | Doi | 10.1242/jcs.033233 |
Citation | Hamer G, et al. (2008) Progression of meiotic recombination requires structural maturation of the central element of the synaptonemal complex. J Cell Sci 121(Pt 15):2445-51 |
abstractText | The synaptonemal complex is an elaborate meiosis-specific supramolecular protein assembly that promotes chromosome synapsis and meiotic recombination. We inactivated the meiosis-specific gene Tex12 and found that TEX12 is essential for progression of meiosis in both male and female germ cells. Structural analysis of the synaptonemal complex in Tex12-/- meiocytes revealed a disrupted central element structure, a dense structure residing between the synapsed homologous chromosomes. Chromosome synapsis is initiated at multiple positions along the paired homologous chromosomes in Tex12-/- meiotic cells, but fails to propagate along the chromosomes. Furthermore, although meiotic recombination is initiated in Tex12-/- meiotic cells, these early recombination events do not develop into meiotic crossovers. Hence, the mere initiation of synapsis is not sufficient to support meiotic crossing-over. Our results show that TEX12 is a component of the central element structure of the synaptonemal complex required for propagation of synapsis along the paired homologous chromosomes and maturation of early recombination events into crossovers. |