Examination of interchromosomal interactions in vegetatively growing diploid Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells by Cre/loxP site-specific recombination.

Citation:

Molnar M, Kleckner N. Examination of interchromosomal interactions in vegetatively growing diploid Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells by Cre/loxP site-specific recombination. Genetics. 2008;178 (1) :99-112.

Date Published:

2008 Jan

Abstract:

The probability with which different regions of a genome come in contact with one another is a question of general interest. The current study addresses this subject for vegetatively growing diploid cells of fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe by application of the Cre/loxP site-specific recombination assay. High levels of allelic interactions imply a tendency for chromosomes to be colocalized along their lengths. Significant homology-dependent pairing at telomere proximal loci and robust nonspecific clustering of centromeres appear to be the primary determinants of this feature. Preference for direct homolog-directed interactions at interstitial chromosomal regions was ambiguous, perhaps as a consequence of chromosome flexibility and the constraints and dynamic nature of the nucleus. Additional features of the data provide evidence for chromosome territories and reveal an intriguing phenomenon in which interaction frequencies are favored for nonhomologous loci that are located at corresponding relative (rather than absolute) positions within their respective chromosome arms. The latter feature, and others, can be understood as manifestations of transient, variable, and/or occasional nonspecific telomeric associations. We discuss the factors whose interplay sets the probabilities of chromosomal interactions in this organism and implications of the inferred organization for ectopic recombination.

Key Publications by Subject Area

Chromosomes as Mechanical Objects

• Kleckner, N., Zickler, D., Jones, G.H., Henle, J., Dekker, J. and Hutchinson, J. 2004. A mechanical basis for chromosome function. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 101, 12592-12597.

• Fisher, J.K. and Kleckner, N. 2014. Magnetic Force Micropiston: an integrated force microfluidic device for the application of compressive forces in a confined environment. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 85 023704 (2014)

Mammalian chromosome dynamics

• Liang, Z., Zickler, D., Prentiss, M., Chang, F.S., Witz, G., Maeshima, K. and Kleckner, N. 2015. Chromosomes progress to metaphase in multiple discrete steps via global compaction/expansion cycles. Cell 161: 1124-1137.

E.coli chromosome dynamics

• Fisher, J.K., Bourniquel, A., Witz, G., Weiner, B., Prentiss, M. and Kleckner, N. 2013. Four-dimensional imaging of E. coli organization and dynamics in living cells. Cell 153, 882-895.

• Kleckner, N., Fisher, J.K., Stouf, M., White, M.A., Bates, D. and Witz, G. 2014. The bacterial nucleoid: nature, dynamics and sister segregation. Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 22: 127-137.

Meiotic Crossover Interference

• Zhang, L., Wang, S., Yin, S., Hong, S. Kim, K.P. and Kleckner, N. 2014. Topoisomerase II mediates meiotic crossover interference. Nature 511: 551-556.

• Zhang, L, Espagne, E., De Muyt, A., Zickler, D. and Kleckner, N. 2014. Interference-mediated synaptonemal complex formation with embedded crossover-designation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111(47):E5059-68. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1416411111.

• Wang, S., Zickler, D., Kleckner, N. and Zhang, L. 2015. Meiotic crossover patterns: obligatory crossover, interference and homeostasis in a single process. Cell Cycle, 14(3): 305-314.

Homologous Chromosome Pairing

• Zickler, D. and Kleckner, N. 2015. Recombination, pairing and synapsis of homologs in meiosis. In Kowalczykowski, S., Hunter, N. and Heyer, W.-D., DNA Replication (Cold Spring Harbor: Cold Spring Harbor Press) Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2015;7:a016626 doi: 10.1101/CSHPERSPECT.a016626.

• Gladyshev E. and Kleckner, N. 2014. Direct recognition of homology between double helices of DNA in Neurospora crassa. Nat. Commun. 5: 3509 doi: 10.1038/ncomms4509.

• Mirkin, E.V., Chang, F. S. and Kleckner, N. 2013. Dynamic trans interactions in yeast chromosomes. PLoS One 8(9): e75895. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0075895

• Danilowicz, C., Lee, C.H., Kim K., Hatch, K., Coljee, V.W., Kleckner, N. and Prentiss, M. 2009. Single molecule detection of direct, homologous DNA/DNA pairing. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 106, 19,824-19,829.

• Weiner, B.M. and Kleckner, N. 1994. Chromosome pairing via multiple interstitial interactions before and during meiosis in yeast. Cell 77: 977-991.

• Burgess, S.M., Kleckner, N. and Weiner, B.M. 1999. Somatic pairing of homologs in budding yeast: existence and modulation. Genes Dev. 13, 1627-1641.

• Kleckner, N. and Weiner, B.M. 1993. Potential advantages of unstable interactions for pairing of chromosomes in meiotic, somatic and premeiotic cells. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 58: 553-565.

Meiotic Sordaria Chromosomes

• De Muyt A, Zhang, L., Piolot, T., Kleckner, N., Espagne,, E. and Zickler D. 2014. E3 ligase Hei10: a multi-faceted structure-based signaling molecule with roles within and beyond meiosis. Genes Dev 28: 1111-1123.

• Storlazzi, A., Gargano, S., Ruprich-Robert, G., Falque, M., David, M., Kleckner, N. and Zickler, D. 2010. Recombination proteins mediate meiotic spatial chromosome organization and pairing. Cell 141 94-106.

Nancy Kleckner

Herchel Smith Professor of Molecular Biology

Examination of interchromosomal interactions in vegetatively growing diploid Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells by Cre/loxP site-specific recombination.

Citation:

Date Published:

Abstract:

Key Publications by Subject Area