During prophase of the first meiotic division, cells deliberately break their DNA. These DNA breaks are repaired by homologous recombination, which facilitates proper chromosome segregation and enables reciprocal exchange of DNA segments between homologous chromosomes, thus promoting genetic diversity in the progeny1. A successful completion of meiotic recombination requires nucleolytic processing of recombination intermediates. Genetic and cellular data implicated a pathway dependent on the putative MLH1-MLH3 (MutLγ) nuclease in generating crossovers, but mechanisms that lead to its activation were unclear2–4. Here, we have biochemically reconstituted key elements of this pro-crossover pathway. First, we sh... More
During prophase of the first meiotic division, cells deliberately break their DNA. These DNA breaks are repaired by homologous recombination, which facilitates proper chromosome segregation and enables reciprocal exchange of DNA segments between homologous chromosomes, thus promoting genetic diversity in the progeny1. A successful completion of meiotic recombination requires nucleolytic processing of recombination intermediates. Genetic and cellular data implicated a pathway dependent on the putative MLH1-MLH3 (MutLγ) nuclease in generating crossovers, but mechanisms that lead to its activation were unclear2–4. Here, we have biochemically reconstituted key elements of this pro-crossover pathway. First, we show that human MSH4-MSH5 (MutSγ), which was known to support crossing over5–7, binds branched recombination intermediates and physically associates with MutLγ. This helps stabilize the ensemble at joint molecule structures and adjacent dsDNA. Second, we show that MutSγ directly stimulates DNA cleavage by the MutLγ endonuclease, which demonstrates a novel and unexpected function for MutSγ in triggering crossing-over. Third, we find that MutLγ activity is further stimulated by EXO1, but only when MutSγ is present. Fourth, we also identify the replication factor C (RFC) and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) as additional components of the nuclease ensemble, and show that S. cerevisiae strains expressing PIP box-mutated MutLγ present striking defects in forming crossovers. Finally, we show that the MutLγ-MutSγ-EXO1-RFC-PCNA nuclease ensemble preferentially cleaves DNA with Holliday junctions, but shows no canonical resolvase activity. Instead, the multilayered nuclease ensemble likely processes meiotic recombination intermediates by nicking dsDNA adjacent to junction points8. Since DNA nicking by MutLγ is dependent on its co-factors, the asymmetric distribution of MutSγ and RFC/PCNA on meiotic recombination intermediates may drive biased DNA cleavage. This unique mode of MutLγ nuclease activation might explain crossover-specific processing of Holliday junctions within the meiotic chromosomal context3, 9.
