A Caenorhabditis elegans cohesion protein with functions in meiotic chromosome pairing and disjunction.

ABSTRACT: We have studied four Caenorhabditis elegans homologs of the Rad21/Scc1/Rec8 sister-chromatid cohesion protein family. Based on the RNAi phenotype and protein localization, it is concluded that one of them, W02A2.6p, is the likely worm ortholog of yeast Rec8p. The depletion of C. elegans W02A2.6p (called REC-8) by RNAi, induced univalent formation and splitting of chromosomes into sister chromatids at diakinesis. Chromosome synapsis at pachytene was defective, but primary homology recognition seemed unaffected, as a closer-than-random association of homologous fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) signals at leptotene/zygotene was observed. Depletion of REC-8 also induced chromosome fragmentation at diakinesis. We interpret these fragments as products of unrepaired meiotic double-strand

SUBMITTER: Pasierbek P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC312707 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature