Epigenetic control of meiotic recombination in Drosophila

我们研究的主要目的在于解决控制果蝇减数分裂重组的表观遗传过程。对SCs组蛋白修饰的分析显示，大量的H3K9me3和H3K27甲基化标记表明联会复合体中染色质处于优先的异染色质状态。控制基因沉默的蛋白质的丰富结合也可以被证明。突变分析表明，组蛋白甲基转移酶SETDB1和E(Z)在SCs的染色质组织控制中起着核心作用。染色质结构对重组频率和交叉分布的影响由所选基因组区域的高分辨率交叉作图的第一个数据显示。在我们的进一步研究中，我们着重于控制联会复合体染色质的表观遗传指数和高阶结构的表观遗传因素的分析。通过高分辨率交叉分析，研究这些因素对交叉频率和分布的影响。

The main aim of our studies consists in resolving epigenetic processes, which control meiotic recombination in Drosophila. Analysis of histone modifications at SCs revealed abundant H3K9me3 and H3K27 methylation marks suggesting a preferential heterochromatin like state of chromatin at synaptonemal complexes. Abundant binding of proteins controlling gene silencing could also be demonstrated. Mutant analysis suggests a central role of the histone methyltransferases SETDB1 and E(Z) in control of chromatin organization at SCs. An impact of chromatin organization on recombination frequency and crossover distribution is indicated by first data of high-resolution crossover mapping in selected genomic regions. In our further studies we focus on the analysis of epigenetic factors which control epigenetic indexing and higher order structure of chromatin at synaptonemal complexes. By high-resolution crossover analysis the impact of these factors on crossover frequency and distribution will be studied.