Elevated temperature increases meiotic crossover frequency via the interfering (Type I) pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Published in: PLoS genetics Vol. 14; no. 5; p. e1007384
• Main Authors: Modliszewski, Jennifer L, Wang, Hongkuan, Albright, Ashley R, Lewis, Scott M, Bennett, Alexander R, Huang, Jiyue, Ma, Hong, Wang, Yingxiang, Copenhaver, Gregory P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01-05-2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis thaliana; Biodiversity; Biology and Life Sciences; Cell division; Cellular stress response; Chromosomes; Collaboration; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA damage; DNA methylation; DNA sequencing; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Education; Environmental factors; Funding; Genetic analysis; Genetic aspects; Genetic engineering; Genomes; High temperature; Laboratories; Life sciences; Meiosis; Methods; Molecular modelling; Observations; Phenotypes; Physical Sciences; Plant biology; Recombination; Research and Analysis Methods; Sexual reproduction; Supervision; Temperature; Temperature effects; North Carolina; United States > US; China
• ISSN: 1553-7404; 1553-7390; 1553-7404
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007384

For most eukaryotes, sexual reproduction is a fundamental process that requires meiosis. In turn, meiosis typically depends on a reciprocal exchange of DNA between each pair of homologous chromosomes, known as a crossover (CO), to ensure proper chromosome segregation. The frequency and distribution of COs are regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic environmental factors, but much more is known about the molecular mechanisms governing the former compared to the latter. Here we show that elevated temperature induces meiotic hyper-recombination in Arabidopsis thaliana and we use genetic analysis with mutants in different recombination pathways to demonstrate that the extra COs are derived from the major Type I interference sensitive pathway. We also show that heat-induced COs are not the result of an increase in DNA double-strand breaks and that the hyper-recombinant phenotype is likely specific to thermal stress rather than a more generalized stress response. Taken together, these findings provide initial mechanistic insight into how environmental cues modulate plant meiotic recombination and may also offer practical applications.