Moving and stopping: Regulation of chromosome movement to promote meiotic chromosome pairing and synapsis

Abstract

Meiosis is a specialized cellular division occurring in organisms capable of sexual reproduction that leads to the formation of gametes containing half of the original chromosome number. During the earliest stage of meiosis, prophase I, pairing of homologous chromosomes is achieved in preparation for their proper distribution in the coming divisions. An important question is how do homologous chromosomes find each other and establish pairing interactions. Early studies demonstrated that chromosomes are dynamic in nature and move during this early stage of meiosis. More recently, there have been several studies across different models showing the conserved nature and importance of this chromosome movement, as well as the key components involved in chromosome movement. This review will cover these major findings and also introduce unexamined areas of regulation in meiotic prophase I chromosome movement.

Keywords: LINC; meiosis; recombination; synapsis.

Figure 1.

Chromosome Movement Patterns and Protein Components of Chromosome Movement. (A) Examples of the different chromosomal movement patterns and with which organism each is associated. Red circles: LINC complex; Yellow arrows: possible directions of chromosome movement. (B) Six different model organisms with their meiotic LINC complexes and associated- structural/regulatory protein components described in the text. Blue tubes: microtubules; Red tubes: actin; Black lines: nuclear envelope; Purple boxes: KASH proteins; Green boxes: SUN proteins; Brown boxes: structural-associated proteins; Yellow triangles: regulation-associated proteins.