Regulating the formation of DNA double-strand breaks in meiosis

Abstract

During meiosis, cells deliberately form numerous DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in order to initiate homologous recombination, which exchanges genetic information between homologous chromosomes and promotes accurate chromosome segregation. DSB formation is restricted to a narrow window of time in meiosis, both for proper execution of the functions of recombination and to prevent production of toxic DNA lesions at inappropriate times. Two studies in this issue of Genes & Development provide important insight into the poorly understood mechanisms that ensure proper timing of DSB formation.