The cyclin-A CYCA1;2/TAM is required for the meiosis I to meiosis II transition and cooperates with OSD1 for the prophase to first meiotic division transition

Isabelle d'Erfurth (1) , Laurence Cromer (1) , Sylvie Jolivet (1) , Chloé Girard (1) , Christine Horlow (1) , Yujin Sun (2) , Jennifer P.C. To (2) , Luke E. Berchowitz (2) , Gregory P. Copenhaver (3) , Raphaël Mercier (1)

1 IJPB - Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin
2 Department of Biology - Carolina Center for Genome Sciences
3 Department of Biology - Carolina Center for Genome Sciences - School of Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Meiosis halves the chromosome number because its two divisions follow a single round of DNA replication. This process involves two cell transitions, the transition from prophase to the first meiotic division (meiosis I) and the unique meiosis I to meiosis II transition. We show here that the A-type cyclin CYCA1;2/TAM plays a major role in both transitions in Arabidopsis. A series of tam mutants failed to enter meiosis II and thus produced diploid spores and functional diploid gametes. These diploid gametes had a recombined genotype produced through the single meiosis I division. In addition, by combining the tam-2 mutation with AtSpo11-1 and Atrec8, we obtained plants producing diploid gametes through a mitotic-like division that were genetically identical to their parents. Thus tam alleles displayed phenotypes very similar to that of the previously described osd1 mutant. Combining tam and osd1 mutations leads to a failure in the prophase to meiosis I transition during male meiosis and to the production of tetraploid spores and gametes. This suggests that TAM and OSD1 are involved in the control of both meiotic transitions.

Keywords: allele; chromosome segregation; genetic; cycling A1; diploidy; gene expression regulation; meiosis; mutation; pollen; prophase; arabidopsis protein; génétique; méiose

Domains: Genetics

Isabelle d'Erfurth, Laurence Cromer, Sylvie Jolivet, Chloé Girard, Christine Horlow, et al.. The cyclin-A CYCA1;2/TAM is required for the meiosis I to meiosis II transition and cooperates with OSD1 for the prophase to first meiotic division transition. PLoS Genetics, 2010, 6 (6), pp.e1000989. ⟨10.1371/journal.pgen.1000989⟩. ⟨hal-01203878⟩