Abstract
Genomic architecture facilitates chromosome recognition, pairing, and recombination. Telomeres and subtelomeres play an important role at the beginning of meiosis in specific chromosome recognition and pairing, which are critical processes that allow chromosome recombination between homologs (equivalent chromosomes in the same genome) in later stages. In plant polyploids, these terminal regions are even more important in terms of homologous chromosome recognition, due to the presence of homoeologs (equivalent chromosomes from related genomes). Although telomeres interaction seems to assist homologous pairing and consequently, the progression of meiosis, other chromosome regions, such as subtelomeres, need to be considered, because the DNA sequence of telomeres is not chromosome-specific. In addition, recombination operates at subtelomeres and, as it happens in rye and wheat, homologous recognition and pairing is more often correlated with recombining regions than with crossover-poor regions. In a plant breeding context, the knowledge of how homologous chromosomes initiate pairing at the beginning of meiosis can contribute to chromosome manipulation in hybrids or interspecific genetic crosses. Thus, recombination in interspecific chromosome associations could be promoted with the aim of transferring desirable agronomic traits from related genetic donor species into crops. In this review, we summarize the importance of telomeres and subtelomeres on chromatin dynamics during early meiosis stages and their implications in recombination in a plant breeding framework.
Highlights
Reviewed by: Changbin Chen, Arizona State University, United States Zhukuan Cheng, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Recombination operates at subtelomeres and, as it happens in rye and wheat, homologous recognition and pairing is more often correlated with recombining regions than with crossover-poor regions
We summarize the importance of telomeres and subtelomeres on chromatin dynamics during early meiosis stages and their implications in recombination in a plant breeding framework
Summary
A genome is the genetic information of a living organism. In eukaryotic organisms, like plants, the genetic information is carried by chromosomes, within the cell nucleus. Besides the modifications caused by histone exchanging or by PTMs, chromatin can be remodeled by nucleosome mobilization to diverse DNA locations or removed by ATP-dependent remodeling enzymes These remodeling factors are important for gene expression since they control the access of the transcription machinery through common mechanisms that include DNA unwrapping from the nucleosome core and DNA loop translocation along the nucleosomes (Saha et al, 2006; Zofall et al, 2006). Many non-histone proteins interact with chromatin in a dynamical way so that they can support or remodel chromatin architecture conferring specific properties to the resulting structure These changes affect local chromatin architecture, chromosome organization, and chromosome packaging, as well as DNA functionality, and it obviously has an influence on chromosome pairing and recombination. These chromatin interactions regulate several processes including DNA repair, cell cycle, reproduction, differentiation, and multiple aspects of plant development
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