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Description

Successful reproduction of Saccharomyces cerevisiae relies on the organism’s ability to complete the meiotic cell cycle and produce viable gametes. Zip1 is a protein that constitutes the central component of a protein structure that connects homologous chromosomes known as the synaptonemal complex. Zip1 is important for progression through the meiotic cell cycle. The C terminus of the coiled-coil Zip 1 protein is responsible for localization to the axes of the chromosomes. An internal deletion near the C terminus of Zip1, called zip1-c1, yields a stronger meiotic arrest than a mutation where Zip1 is completely deleted. The more efficient meiotic progression in a Zip1 deletion mutation versus the zip1-c1 mutant suggests that zip1-c1 prevents an alternative pathway of meiotic progression. A genomic screen of the Nasmyth genomic library revealed candidate plasmids N5 and N89 containing yeast genes which, when overexpressed, increase spore viability and bypass meiotic arrest in the zip1-c1 mutant. This has implications that the genes on the overexpression plasmids serve some function in correcting mistakes in meiosis when Zip1 is mutated.

Publication Date

9-5-2013

Disciplines

Cell and Developmental Biology | Genetics | Life Sciences

Comments

Student Researchers: Steven Drellishak; Marina Bykova

Faculty Advisor: G. Valentin Börner, Ph.D.

Function of a Novel Checkpoint Protein in the Germ Line

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