skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: A conserved checkpoint monitors meiotic chromosome synapsis inCaenorhabditis elegans

Journal Article · · Science
OSTI ID:901805

We report the discovery of a checkpoint that monitorssynapsis between homologous chromosomes to ensure accurate meioticsegregation. Oocytes containing unsynapsed chromosomes selectivelyundergo apoptosis even if agermline DNA damage checkpoint is inactivated.This culling mechanism isspecifically activated by unsynapsed pairingcenters, cis-acting chromosomesites that are also required to promotesynapsis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Apoptosis due to synaptic failurealso requires the C. elegans homolog of PCH2,a budding yeast pachytenecheckpoint gene, which suggests that this surveillance mechanism iswidely conserved.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; National Institutes of Health Grants 1 F32GM67408-01A1 and 1 R01 GM/CA655591-01; Burroughs Wellcome Career Award1000950
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
901805
Report Number(s):
LBNL-58820; SCEHDK; R&D Project: 862E2B; BnR: 400412000; TRN: US200715%%143
Journal Information:
Science, Vol. 310, Issue 5754; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 9 December2005; ISSN 0193-4511
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English