Meiotic Homolog Pairing in Drosophila

9723330 McKim To investigate the mechanism of chromosome pairing in D. melanogaster, a combined approach of genetics, molecular biology and cell biology will be applied. Several aspects of the problem of initiating meiotic chromosome pairing and recombination will be addressed. Very little is known about the gene products that are required for this process. Two genes with important roles in this process, mei-W68 and mei-P22, have recently been identified. The protein product of these genes will be identified and the expression pattern of the transcript and protein will be characterized. One of the ways to understand this process is to characterize mutants defective in meiotic recombination. The temporal expression pattern of these genes will indicate when they are required. Only one gene involved in this process has been cloned and its function remains unknown. Both genes will be characterized. The object of this proposal is to investigate the mechanism of meiotic homolog pairing and recombination in Drosophila melanogaster females. During meiosis, paired homologous chromosomes are held together by a structure known as the synaptonemal complex (s.c.). Despite the ubiquitous nature of the s.c., there is considerable controversy on how it forms, its components, and its relationship to meiotic recombination. The studies in this proposal will enhance the understanding of two crucial issues in meiotic chromosome behavior. First, how do meiotic chromosomes pair and synapse; how much is based on DNA sequence similarity, and how much is based on 'pairing sites'. Second, what gene products have a role in this process, and what is the function of those gene products.