# Crossover control during meiosis

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · 2020 · $321,850

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Chromosomal birth defects and age-related infertility in humans arise from errors in meiosis,
the specialized cell division process required for sexual reproduction. During meiosis, the maternal
and paternal copies of each chromosome pair with each other and undergo crossover recombination.
This process leads to the formation of physical links between partner chromosomes and directs their
segregation to different daughter cells. Studies of human aneuploidy and experiments in model
organisms have demonstrated that errors frequently arise when crossovers either fail to occur
between partner chromosomes, or occur at suboptimal positions along the chromosomes. The
mechanisms that govern chromosome-wide crossover number and placement, sometimes referred to
as “crossover control,” remain poorly understood.
 In most organisms, crossovers between each pair of homologous chromosomes are required for
proper segregation. Mechanisms known as “crossover assurance” and “crossover interference” ensure
that each chromosome pair undergoes a crossover while strictly limiting the total number of
crossovers. This has implied the existence of chromosome-wide signals that mediate crossover
control. The nature of these signals has been enigmatic and highly controversial. Recent work in my
lab has illuminated a novel signaling circuit that regulates crossovers in C. elegans. Our published
work and preliminary findings reveal that this circuit acts within a unique polymer, the synaptonemal
complex, which forms a phase-separated compartment between homologous chromosomes. The work
proposed here will expand our understanding of this circuit and the mechanisms by which key
regulatory factors are confined within this compartment. Through this work we will illuminate widely
conserved mechanisms governing meiotic recombination and will also explore how a cellular switch-
like signal can be spatially confined within a non-membrane-bound cellular compartment, a principle
that is likely to impact diverse cell biological pathways.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9825542
- **Project number:** 5R01GM065591-15
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
- **Principal Investigator:** ABBY F DERNBURG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $321,850
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2002-04-01 → 2021-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9825542

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9825542, Crossover control during meiosis (5R01GM065591-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-10 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9825542. Licensed CC0.

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