ABSTRACT

A central player in meiotic chromosome dynamics is the conserved Polo-like kinase (PLK) family. PLKs are dynamically localized to distinct structures during meiotic prophase and phosphorylate a diverse group of substrates to control homolog pairing, synapsis, and meiotic recombination. In a recent study, we uncovered the mechanisms that control the targeting of a meiosis-specific PLK-2 in C. elegans. In early meiotic prophase, PLK-2 localizes to special chromosome regions known as pairing centers and drives homolog pairing and synapsis. PLK-2 then relocates to the synaptonemal complex (SC) after crossover designation and mediates chromosome remodeling required for homolog separation. What controls this intricate targeting of PLK-2 in space and time? We discuss recent findings and remaining questions for the future.

摘要

减数分裂染色体动力学的核心参与者是保守的 Polo 样激酶 (PLK) 家族。PLK 在减数分裂前期动态定位于不同的结构，并磷酸化一组不同的底物以控制同源配对、突触和减数分裂重组。在最近的一项研究中，我们揭示了控制秀丽隐杆线虫中减数分裂特异性 PLK-2 靶向的机制. 在减数分裂早期，PLK-2 定位于称为配对中心的特殊染色体区域并驱动同源配对和突触。PLK-2 然后在交叉指定后重新定位到联会复合体 (SC) 并介导同源物分离所需的染色体重塑。是什么控制了 PLK-2 在空间和时间上的这种错综复杂的目标？我们讨论了最近的发现和未来的剩余问题。