Meiotic recombination is an important process that creates genetic diversity when genetic materials are exchanged between homologous chromosomes. While past studies have focused on genetic factors regulating recombination, less research has been conducted on how epigenetic factors, like DNA methylation, affect meiotic recombination, and why sexes differ in recombination. My project is part of a larger objective to examine whether and how meiotic recombination rates differ between males and females in maize. We hypothesized that the removal of DNA methylation could alter the frequency of recombination in maize, and the effects of DNA methylation on meiotic recombination differ between sexes. To test our hypothesis, we developed genetic markers and investigated recombination rates in both the chromosomal arm and pericentromeric regions of backcrossed populations derived from the mop1 (mediator of paramutation 1, a mutation that removes DNA methylation) mutants and their wild type siblings being used as both male and female. Our data showed that recombination was decreased in the heterochromatic regions and generally increased in the euchromatic regions in mop1 mutants. Amongst the sexes, recombination was higher for females than for males in both mutant and wild type plants. Interestingly, we found that the effect of the mutant was less pronounced in male meiocytes relative to female meiocytes, suggesting the role of DNA methylation in the distinction between male and female recombination in maize. Our research provides new insights into the understanding of epigenetic regulation on meiotic recombination in maize and perhaps in many other eukaryotic species.
Authors: Liz Kelly, Mahmood Hasan, Dr. Meixia Zhao, Biology
Advisors: Meixia Zhao, Biology
Graduate Advisor: Mahmood Hasan, Biology
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