Homologous chromosome pairing in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

• Applicant: Professorin Iva Marija Tolic, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Cell Biology
• Term: from 2009 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 116489490

Pairing of homologous chromosomes is a crucial step in meiosis. A central question is how homo-logues find each other. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an excellent model system to study pairing, because of an extensive chromosome movement in the process of "horsetail" nuclear oscillations and a lack of post-pairing synaptic structures. The role of chromosome movement in chromosome pairing has been established by genetic approaches, yet the mechanism of pairing is poorly understood. The aim of this project is to uncover how chromosomes undergo pairing, by taking cell biological and biophysical approaches. We will observe specific loci on homologous chromosomes by two-color imaging, using lac and tet operator/repressor recognition systems. The labeled loci will be tracked with automated tracking software. Nuclear movements will be perturbed at different time points during nuclear oscillations, in order to elucidate the impact of chromosome stretching and relaxation on pairing. Our work is expected to reveal the biophysical mechanisms underlying chromosome pairing in S. pombe.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1384: Mechanisms of Genome Haploidisation