Dr. Amy MacQueen Wesleyan University Host: Stacey HanlonZippers and Stitches in the Meiotic Nucleus Dr. MacQueen will present data that informs how we think one meiosis-specific protein, Zip1, manages to carry out two different jobs within the meiotic nucleus. Zip1 carries out two independent activities that each contribute to ensuring chromosomes generate a stable association with their proper (homologous) pairing partners, a task that is critical for the formation of gamete nuclei carrying the proper number of chromosomes. Interestingly, one of Zip1's critical jobs involves processing DNA recombination intermediates at discrete sites along chromosomes, while Zip1's other job involves the assembly of a relatively large chromosomal complex that globally "zips" the entire length of chromosome axes into close proximity. We have acquired data showing that Zip1's two activities are regulated by adjacent regions of its N terminal tip, and that phosphorylation may serve as a molecular "switch", changing Zip1's capacity to carry out these two roles.Publications:Full-Length Synaptonemal Complex Grows Continuously during Meiotic Prophase in Budding Yeast (https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1002993)Crossover recombination and synapsis are linked by adjacent regions within the N terminus of the Zip1 synaptonemal complex protein (https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1008201)Proximity labeling reveals new functional relationships between meiotic recombination proteins in S. cerevisiaeMacQueen Lab website (https://macqueenlab.research.wesleyan.edu/)

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This session of On Target will feature Panka Bencsik, Assistant Professor andC. Family Dean's Faculty Fellowof Medicine, Health, and Society and of Public Policy atVanderbilt University, College of Arts and Science.Topic TBD