Genetic and physical analyses of sister chromatid exchange in yeast meiosis

Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Dec;11(12):6328-36. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.12.6328-6336.1991.

Abstract

We have used nonessential circular minichromosomes to monitor sister chromatid exchange during yeast meiosis. Genetic analysis shows that a 64-kb circular minichromosome undergoes sister chromatid exchange during 40% of meioses. This frequency is not reduced by the presence of a homologous linear minichromosome. Furthermore, sister chromatid exchange can be stimulated by the presence of a 12-kb ARG4 DNA fragment, which contains initiation sites for meiotic gene conversion. Using physical analysis, we have directly identified a product of sister chromatid exchange: a head-to-tail dimer form of a circular minichromosome. This dimer form is absent in a rad50S mutant strain, which is deficient in processing of the ends of meiosis-specific double-stranded breaks into single-stranded DNA tails. Our studies suggest that meiotic sister chromatid exchange is stimulated by the same mechanism as meiotic homolog exchange.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Kinetics
  • Meiosis*
  • Mutation
  • Plasmids
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics*
  • Sister Chromatid Exchange*