A DNA topoisomerase VI-like complex initiates meiotic recombination

Nathalie Vrielynck; Aurélie Chambon; Daniel Vezon; Lucie Pereira; Liudmila Chelysheva; Arnaud De Muyt; Christine Mézard; Claudine Mayer; Mathilde Grelon

doi:10.1126/science.aad5196

A DNA topoisomerase VI-like complex initiates meiotic recombination

Science. 2016 Feb 26;351(6276):939-43. doi: 10.1126/science.aad5196.

Authors

Nathalie Vrielynck¹, Aurélie Chambon¹, Daniel Vezon¹, Lucie Pereira¹, Liudmila Chelysheva¹, Arnaud De Muyt¹, Christine Mézard¹, Claudine Mayer², Mathilde Grelon³

Affiliations

¹ Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), INRA, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, RD10, 78026 Versailles Cedex, France.
² Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France. CNRS, UMR 3528, 75724 Paris cedex 15, France. Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.
³ Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), INRA, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, RD10, 78026 Versailles Cedex, France. mathilde.grelon@versailles.inra.fr.

PMID: 26917763
DOI: 10.1126/science.aad5196

Abstract

The SPO11 protein catalyzes the formation of meiotic DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) and is homologous to the A subunit of an archaeal topoisomerase (topo VI). Topo VI are heterotetrameric enzymes comprising two A and two B subunits; however, no topo VIB involved in meiotic recombination had been identified. We characterized a structural homolog of the archaeal topo VIB subunit [meiotic topoisomerase VIB-like (MTOPVIB)], which is essential for meiotic DSB formation. It forms a complex with the two Arabidopsis thaliana SPO11 orthologs required for meiotic DSB formation (SPO11-1 and SPO11-2) and is absolutely required for the formation of the SPO11-1/SPO11-2 heterodimer. These findings suggest that the catalytic core complex responsible for meiotic DSB formation in eukaryotes adopts a topo VI-like structure.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Arabidopsis / enzymology
Arabidopsis Proteins / chemistry
Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
Archaeal Proteins / chemistry*
Archaeal Proteins / genetics
Catalysis
Catalytic Domain
DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded
DNA Topoisomerases / chemistry
DNA Topoisomerases / genetics
DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / chemistry*
DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / genetics
Endodeoxyribonucleases / chemistry*
Endodeoxyribonucleases / genetics
Homologous Recombination*
Meiosis / genetics*
Methanosarcina / enzymology*
Models, Molecular
Molecular Sequence Data
Protein Multimerization
Protein Structure, Secondary
Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology
Sequence Alignment
Structural Homology, Protein
Sulfolobus / enzymology*
Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

Arabidopsis Proteins
Archaeal Proteins
Spo11-1 protein, Arabidopsis
Endodeoxyribonucleases
meiotic recombination protein SPO11
DNA Topoisomerases
DNA topoisomerase VI
SPO11-2 protein, Arabidopsis
DNA Topoisomerases, Type II