Quantitative cytogenetic characterisation and structural analysis of REC8 proteoforms in plant meiosis
During meiosis, homologous chromosomes pair and recombine to ensure a balanced segregation of chromosomes into gametes. Patterns of recombination along the chromosomes are shaped by the spatio-temporal dynamics of meiosis and can be influenced by genetic divergence and environmental factors. As such, this processes shows high plasticity, while its general structural progression is conserved across eukaryotes.
The aim of this project is to improve our understanding of allelic variants of REC8, a protein involved in structural organization of meiotic chromosomes. REC8 is part of the cohesin complex, which is responsible for sister chromatid cohesion, and was shown to influence recombination rates. In previous work, we identified REC8 allelic variation in wild and domesticated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Importantly, the structure of the barley cohesin complex, its subcomplexes, and how proteoforms regulate its architecture, and therefore, its meiotic function, is unknown.
Throughout this project, a combination of molecular cytogenetics approaches, in vitro protein characterization, computational structural biology methods, and cryo-EM will be used to reveal the structure and function of REC8 proteoforms.