S. pombe meiotic linear elements contain proteins related to synaptonemal complex components

• Published in: Journal of cell science Vol. 117; no. Pt 15; pp. 3343 - 3351
• Main Authors: Lorenz, Alexander, Wells, Jennifer L, Pryce, David W, Novatchkova, Maria, Eisenhaber, Frank, McFarlane, Ramsay J, Loidl, Josef
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-07-2004
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Crossing Over, Genetic; Databases as Topic; Genotype; MAP Kinase Kinase 1 - metabolism; Meiosis; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Mitosis; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism; Schizosaccharomyces - physiology; Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins - metabolism; Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins - physiology; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Synaptonemal Complex; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0021-9533; 1477-9137
• DOI: 10.1242/jcs.01203

The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe does not form synaptonemal complexes (SCs) in meiotic prophase nuclei. Instead, thin threads, the so-called linear elements (LEs), are observed at the corresponding stages by electron microscopy. Here, we demonstrate that S. pombe Rec10 is a protein related to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC protein Red1 and that it localizes to LEs. Moreover, a homologue to S. cerevisiae Hop1 does exist in S. pombe and we show by in situ immunostaining that it, and the kinase Mek1 (a homologue of which is also known to be associated with SCs), localizes to LEs. These observations indicate the evolutionary relationship of LEs with the lateral elements of SCs and suggest that these structures might exert similar functions in S. cerevisiae and S. pombe.