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Phase separation drives pairing of homologous chromosomes

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Abstract

Pairing of homologous chromosomes is crucial for ensuring accurate segregation of chromosomes during meiosis. Molecular mechanisms of homologous chromosome pairing in meiosis have been extensively studied in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. In this organism, meiosis-specific noncoding RNA transcribed from specific genes accumulates at the respective gene loci, and chromosome-associated RNA–protein complexes mediate meiotic pairing of homologous loci through phase separation. Pairing of homologous chromosomes also occurs in somatic diploid cells in certain situations. For example, somatic pairing of homologous chromosomes occurs during the early embryogenesis in diptera, and relies on the transcription-associated chromatin architecture. Earlier models also suggest that transcription factories along the chromosome mediate pairing of homologous chromosomes in plants. These studies suggest that RNA bodies formed on chromosomes mediate the pairing of homologous chromosomes. This review summarizes lessons from S. pombe to provide general insights into mechanisms of homologous chromosome pairing mediated by phase separation of chromosome-associated RNA–protein complexes.

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Acknowledgements

The author is deeply grateful to all the members who have been engaged in this series of studies in the group since 1991. This work was supported by grants from JSPS KAKENHI Grants JP17H01444, JP18H05533, and JP19K22389.

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  1. Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Japan

    Yasushi Hiraoka

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  1. Yasushi Hiraoka
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Correspondence to Yasushi Hiraoka.

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Communicated by M. Kupiec.

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Hiraoka, Y. Phase separation drives pairing of homologous chromosomes. Curr Genet 66, 881–887 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00294-020-01077-9

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