The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics presents:
Yumi Kim, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Department of Biology
Johns Hopkins University
Presentation:
"Building the Synaptonemal Complex During Meiosis"
Sexually reproducing organisms rely on meiosis to produce haploid gametes such as sperm and eggs. Errors in this process can lead to aneuploidy, a major cause of human miscarriges and congenital defects such as Down Syndrome. During meiotic prophase, chromosomes must pair, synapse, and undergo crossover recombination with their homologous partners. Central to these events is the synaptonemal complex (SC), a conserved zipper-like protein structure that holds homologs together and regulates crossover formation. Although genetic studies have identified proteins essential for SC function, how these components assemble into a functional structure has remained unclear, in part due to the lack of in vitro reconstitution systems.
My lab investigates meiotic chromosome dynamics using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, combining genetics with biochemical and structural approaches. I will present our recent work defining the composition and architecture of the polymerization-competent buolding block of the SC central region. We show that six subunits (SYP-1 through SYP-5 and SKR-1) assemble into a hexamer that dimerizes to form an elongated unit capable of polymerizing into higher-order structures through defined molecular interfaces. I will also discuss how SC biogenesis is coordinated in vivo by developmentally timed mRNA organization and ordered co-translational assembly.
Host: Dr. Dan Foltz, Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Ashley Johnson
(312) 503-3426
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