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PreprintCited by 12Chromosomal and Genetic VariationsDNA Repair MechanismsPlant Molecular Biology Research

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The novel synaptonemal complex central element SCEP3 interlinks synapsis initiation and crossover formation in Arabidopsis thaliana

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Heckmann, Stefan, Feng, Chao, Lorenz, Jana, Dreissig, Steven, Schubert, Veit, Wang, Baicui, Hartmann, Franziska, Cuacos, Maria, Fernández-Jiménez, Nadia, Câmara, Amanda Souza, Himmelbach, Axel·2024·Nature Plants
DOI 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5394998/v1PMC PMC12283363

Preprint — published as 10.1038/s41477-025-02030-9

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Abstract

The proteinaceous synaptonemal complex (SC) structure forms between meiotic homologous chromosomes. Its central region (CR) consists of transverse filament and central element proteins, in Arabidopsis ZYP1 and SCEP1/SCEP2, respectively. We describe a novel CR protein in Arabidopsis. SCEP3 spatiotemporally overlaps with other CR components and is conserved in plants. In scep3, SC formation, crossover (CO) assurance (minimum one CO per chromosome pair), CO interference (limited closely-spaced CO) and heterochiasmy (male/female CO rate difference) vanish while genome-wide and particularly female CO increase. Compared with other CR proteins, SCEP3 is also critical for some synapsis-independent CO. SCEP3 interacts with ZYP1 but loads onto recombination intermediates independent of other CR proteins. We propose SCEP3’s loading onto recombination intermediates may stabilize and/or recruit further factors such as ZYP1 to a subset of these intermediates designated to form CO. Hence, SCEP3 interlinks SC and CO formation, being structurally likely the plant ortholog of yeast Ecm11.

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Metadata

Authors
Heckmann, S., Feng, C., Lorenz, J., Dreissig, S., Schubert, V., Wang, B., Hartmann, F., Cuacos, M., Fernández-Jiménez, N., Câmara, A. S., & Himmelbach, A.
Affiliations
  • Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK) (DE)
  • Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research
  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Corresponding author
Heckmann, Stefan
ORCID
Venue
Nature Plants
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2024-11-21
Volume
11
Issue
7
Pages
1353-1366
ISSN
2055-026X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.21203/rs.3.rs-5394998/v1
PMC
PMC12283363
OpenAlex
W4411709756
Cited by
12
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 4
FWCI
6.48
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Plants (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research Square (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PUBLISSO (German National Library of Medicine) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Digitalen Hochschulbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt (Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt) (cc-by)
Funders
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (354617974, 543670370)
  • Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC202103250012)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › DNA Repair Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Plant Molecular Biology Research
Keywords
synaptonemal complex, central elements, crossover formation, crossover interference, heterochiasmy, meiotic recombination, Arabidopsis thaliana, synaptonemal complex assembly, protein-protein interaction
MeSH terms
Crossing Over, Genetic, Meiosis, Synaptonemal Complex, Arabidopsis, Chromosome Pairing, Arabidopsis Proteins

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