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Epigenetics and Human Reproduction pp 119–156Cite as

Epigenetic Factors and Regulation of Meiotic Recombination in Mammals

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Part of the book series: Epigenetics and Human Health ((EHH))

Abstract

During meiosis, recombination is induced to promote connections between homologous chromosomes, thereby ensuring faithful chromosome segregation. These connections result from reciprocal recombination events or crossovers. Absence or defects of recombination can lead to genome instability, chromosome nondisjunction, aneuploid gametes, or reduced fertility. Recombination events are therefore highly regulated through mechanisms that are still poorly understood. The role of epigenetic modifications in meiotic recombination is suggested by several observations, particularly by the differences between male and female recombination as well as by interindividual variations in crossover rates. In this review, we describe features of meiotic recombination that might involve epigenetic controls. We then present the epigenetic marks and modifiers known to occur or to play a role during meiotic prophase when recombination takes place. Direct evidence of a functional link between histone modifications and recombination is highlighted by a recent analysis of the distribution of recombination showing that the protein PRDM9 targets chromatin modifications to specific sites in the genome where initiation of meiotic recombination takes place.

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Abbreviations

Chr:

Chromosome

cM:

Centi morgan

CO:

Crossover

DNMT:

DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase

DSB:

DNA double-strand break

FISH:

Fluorescent in situ hybridization

HAT:

Histone acetyl-transferase

HDAC:

Histone deacetylase

HDMT:

Histone demethylase

Histone modifications:

Example H3K4Me3 is histone H3 with tri-methylated lysine 4

HJ:

Holliday junction

HMT:

Histone methyl-transferase

Hp1:

Heterochromatin protein 1

IAP:

Intracisternal A particle

JMJD1a:

Jumonji domain-containing histone demethylase 1a

KO:

Knock-out

LD:

Linkage disequilibrium

LINE:

Long interspersed element

MAEL:

Maelstrom

MSCI:

Meiotic sex chromosome inactivation

Msuc:

Meiotic silencing of unsynapsed chromatin

NCO:

Non crossover

PiRNA:

Piwi-interacting RNA

SC:

Synaptonemal complex

SEI:

Single end invasion

SNP:

Single nucleotide polymorphism

TSA:

Trichostatin A

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Acknowledgments

We thank F. Baudat and C. Grey for discussions and comments on the manuscript. P. B is supported by a PhD grant from the French MENRT. This work was funded by grants from CNRS, EDF, ANR-06-BLAN-0160-01, ANR-09-BLAN-0269-01, and ARC3939 to BdM.

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  1. Institut de Génétique Humaine, UPR1142, CNRS, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34396, Montpellier cedex 5, France

    P. Barthès, J. Buard & B. de Massy

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  2. J. Buard
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  1. INSERM U309, Labo. Biologie Moléculaire et, Institut Albert Bonniot, La Tronche CX, 38706, France

    Sophie Rousseaux

  2. INSERM U309, Labo. Biologie Moléculaire et, Institut Albert Bonniot, La Tronche CX, 38706, France

    Saadi Khochbin

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Barthès, P., Buard, J., de Massy, B. (2011). Epigenetic Factors and Regulation of Meiotic Recombination in Mammals. In: Rousseaux, S., Khochbin, S. (eds) Epigenetics and Human Reproduction. Epigenetics and Human Health. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14773-9_6

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