SPP 1384:  Mechanisms of Genome Haploidisation

• Subject Area: Biology
• Term: from 2009 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 72844389

During cell division each chromosome must be faithfully duplicated into two sister chromatids, which must then be properly segregated to generate daughter cells with a genome of high integrity and of the same ploidy as that of the parent cell. There is one exception critical for reproductive life and for human health: genome haploidisation to produce functional germ cells. In meiosis, the genome is initially duplicated but then reduced in two subsequent divisions steps to haploidy. Despite the obvious importance of the process of genome haploidisation, without which no germ cells could be generated in man, in most other vertebrates, and in most lower eukaryotes, we understand very little about its mechanics, its regulation, and the key factors that drive genome haploidisation.
Errors in meiotic genome haploidisation are a major cause for aneuploidies such as down syndrome or for infertility, which affects about ten percent of couples. Thus, genome haploidisation is of enormous significance for human health. Specific areas of research within this Priority Programme include meiotic chromosome architecture, chromosome dynamics, DNA recombination and -repair, transcription, cell cycle control, spindle assembly and cytokinesis. These topics are addressed using a wide range of experimental model systems - from yeast to mouse - and cellular and molecular approaches.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• International Connection: Switzerland

Projects

• Acentrosomal spindle organization in C. elegans meiosis (Applicant Müller-Reichert, Thomas )
• Comparative Analysis of Cohesin, Shugoshin and APC/C in Mitosis versus Meiosis (Applicant Stemmann, Olaf )
• Epigenetic control of meiotic recombination in Drosophila (Applicant Reuter, Gunter )
• Homologous chromosome pairing in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Applicant Tolic, Ph.D., Iva Marija )
• Identification of novel factors that organize mitotic and meiotic chromosomes (Applicant Häring, Christian H. )
• Koordinationsprojekt (Applicant Jessberger, Rolf )
• Luzula elegans - a holocentric species with an inverted sequence of meiotic events? (Applicant Houben, Andreas )
• Mechanism of the coordination of homologous chromosome segregation with asymmetric division in meiosis I (Applicant Ellenberg, Jan )
• Meiosis-specific gene functions and cell cycle control in Drosophila spermatocytes (Applicant Lehner, Christian F. )
• Molecular architecture, dynamics and evolution of the synaptonemal complex (Applicant Benavente, Ricardo )
• Molecular requirements for nuclear envelope attachment and movements of meiotic telomeres (Applicant Alsheimer, Manfred )
• Processing of meiotic DNA recombination intermediates in Arabidopsis thaliana (Applicant Puchta, Holger )
• Regulation of Kinetochore Orientation During Meiosis in Yeast (Applicant Zachariae, Wolfgang )
• Regulatory Mechanisms of Meiosis in Vertebrate Oocytes (Applicant Mayer, Thomas )
• SPO11 dependent initiation of meiotic double strand breaks in Arabidopsis thaliana (Applicant Hartung, Frank )
• The Functions of Cohesins in Mammalia Meiosis (Applicant Jessberger, Rolf )
• The molecular basis of HORMAD1 dependent coordination of key meiotic processes (Applicant Tóth, Attila )
• The role of Drosophila melanogaster condensin I subunits during male meiosis (Applicant Heidmann, Stefan )
• The role of topological events for meiotic homologue paring and genome haploidization (Applicant Scherthan, Harry )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Rolf Jessberger