Genetic variation in eukaryotes is mediated during meiosis by
the exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes
to produce recombinant chromosomes. Cohesin is
essential to promote proper chromosome segregation, chromosome
morphogenesis, and recombination in meiotic cells.
Cohesin consists of three main subunits–Smc1, Smc3, and the
kleisin subunit Mcd1/Scc1 (Rec8 in meiosis)–and cohesin accessory
factors. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the cohesin regulatory
subunit Pds5 plays a role in homolog pairing, meiotic
axis formation, and interhomolog recombination. In this
study, we examine the prophase functions of Pds5 by performing
physical analysis of recombination and three-dimensional
high-resolution microscopy analysis to identify its roles in
meiosis-specific recombination and chromosome morphogenesis.
To investigate whether Pds5 plays a role in mitoticlike
recombination, we inhibited Mek1 kinase activity, which
result
ed in switching to sister template bias by Rad51-dependent
recombination. Reductions in double-strand breaks
and crossover products and defective interhomolog recombination
occurred in the absence of Pds5. Furthermore, recombination
intermediates, including single-end invasion
and double-Holliday junction, were reduced in the absence
of Pds5 with Mek1 kinase inactivation compared to Mek1
kinase inactivation cells. Interestingly, the absence of Pds5
result
ed in increasing numbers of chromosomes with hypercompaction
of the chromosome axis. Thus, we suggest that
Pds5 plays an essential role in recombination by suppressing
the pairing of sister chromatids and abnormal compaction
of the chromosome axis.