How to halve ploidy during meiosis – Lessons from budding yeast

Kerr, Gary; Sarkar, Sourav; Arumugam, Prakash

Abstract

Maintenance of ploidy in sexually reproducing organisms requires a specialized form of cell division called meiosis that generates genetically diverse haploid gametes from diploid germ cells. Meiotic cells halve their ploidy by undergoing two rounds of nuclear division (meiosis I and II) after a single round of DNA replication. Research in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) has shown that four major deviations from the mitotic cell cycle during meiosis are essential for halving ploidy. The deviations are (1) formation of a link between homologous chromosomes by crossover, (2) monopolar attachment of sister kinetochores during meiosis I, (3) protection of centromeric cohesion during meiosis I, and (4) suppression of DNA replication following exit from meiosis I. In this review we present the current understanding of the above four processes in budding yeast and examine the possible conservation of molecular mechanisms from yeast to humans.

Citation

Kerr, G., Sarkar, S., & Arumugam, P. (2012). How to halve ploidy during meiosis – Lessons from budding yeast. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 69(18), 3037-3051. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-012-0974-9

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Mar 13, 2012
• Online Publication Date: Apr 6, 2012
• Publication Date: 2012-09
• Deposit Date: Feb 19, 2019
• Journal: Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
• Print ISSN: 1420-682X
• Electronic ISSN: 1420-9071
• Publisher: BMC
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 69
• Issue: 18
• Pages: 3037-3051
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-012-0974-9
• Keywords: Meiosis, Gametogenesis, Ploidy, Cell cycle, Shugoshin, Monopolin, FEAR,
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1596271
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00018-012-0974-9