PUF-8 facilitates homologous chromosome pairing by promoting proteasome activity during meiotic entry in C. elegans

• Published in: Development (Cambridge) Vol. 145; no. 7; p. dev163949
• Main Authors: Kumar, Ganga Anil, Subramaniam, Kuppuswamy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Company of Biologists Ltd 01.04.2018
• Subjects: Animals; ATPases Associated with Diverse Cellular Activities - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans - metabolism; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - genetics; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins - metabolism; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Chromosome Pairing - genetics; Chromosomes; Cytoskeleton; Defects; Dynein; Gametogenesis; Germ Cells - metabolism; Meiosis; Meiosis - genetics; Membrane Proteins - metabolism; Mutagenesis; Nematodes; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex - metabolism; Proteasomes; Recombination; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA-binding protein; RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins - metabolism; Sterility; Caenorhabditis elegans; Meiosis; Germ cells; htp-3; pas-1; rpn-1
• ISSN: 0950-1991; 1477-9129
• DOI: 10.1242/dev.163949

Pairing of homologous chromosomes is essential for genetic recombination during gametogenesis. In many organisms, chromosome ends are attached to cytoplasmic dynein, and dynein-driven chromosomal movements facilitate the pairing process. Factors that promote or control the cytoskeletal tethering of chromosomes are largely unknown. Here, we show that the conserved RNA-binding protein PUF-8 facilitates the tethering and pairing processes in the germline by promoting proteasome activity. We have isolated a hypomorphic allele of , which encodes a proteasome core subunit, and find that the homologous chromosomes fail to pair in the double mutant due to failure of chromosome tethering. Our results reveal that the meiotic defects are caused by the loss of proteasome activity. The axis component HTP-3 accumulates prematurely in the double mutant, and reduction of its activity partially suppresses some of the meiotic defects, suggesting that HTP-3 might be an important target of the proteasome in promoting early meiotic events. In summary, our results reveal a role for the proteasome in chromosome tethering and identify PUF-8 as a regulator of proteasome activity during early meiosis.