Publication Date:
2012-05-15
Description:
Pairing and recombination of homologous chromosomes are essential for ensuring reductional segregation in meiosis. However, the mechanisms by which chromosomes recognize their homologous partners are poorly understood. Here, we report that the sme2 gene encodes a meiosis-specific noncoding RNA that mediates homologous recognition in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The sme2 locus shows robust pairing from early in meiotic prophase. The sme2 RNA transcripts accumulate at their respective gene loci and greatly enhance pairing of homologous loci: Deletion of the sme2 sequence eliminates this robust pairing, whereas transposition to other chromosomal sites confers robust pairing at those ectopic sites. Thus, we propose that RNA transcripts retained on the chromosome play an active role in recognition of homologous chromosomes for pairing.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Ding, Da-Qiao -- Okamasa, Kasumi -- Yamane, Miho -- Tsutsumi, Chihiro -- Haraguchi, Tokuko -- Yamamoto, Masayuki -- Hiraoka, Yasushi -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 2012 May 11;336(6082):732-6. doi: 10.1126/science.1219518.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Advanced ICT Research Institute Kobe, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Kobe 651-2492, Japan.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22582262" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
*Chromosome Pairing
;
Chromosomes, Fungal/*physiology
;
Genes, Fungal
;
*Meiosis
;
Models, Genetic
;
Prophase
;
RNA, Fungal/genetics
;
RNA, Untranslated/*genetics
;
RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics/metabolism
;
Recombination, Genetic
;
Schizosaccharomyces/*genetics/physiology
;
Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins/genetics/metabolism
;
Telomere/physiology
;
Transcription, Genetic
;
mRNA Cleavage and Polyadenylation Factors/genetics
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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