Dr. Emil Parvanov

Project: Prdm9 - linking the histone modifications and recombination

Person in Charge: Mgr. Lumír Krejčí, Ph.D.

Host institution: National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University

Country of Origin: Bulgaria 

Country of scientific activity: USA

Project duration: 24 months

Scientific panel: Life sciences

Abstract:

Meiotic homologous recombination is a process common to all eukaryotes, which assures proper segregation of homologous chromosomes in meiosis and provides genetic diversity by creating new allelic combinations in every generation. In humans and other mammals the recombination events are localized in tightly defined 1-2kb genomic regions (hotspots), irregularly spaced along the genome and vary greatly in their activity. The major protein players in recombination are well studied, uncovering the recombination on molecular level. Less is known about the factors defining the location of recombination hotspots. Recent research in the group of Dr. K. Paigen (The Jackson Lab) shows that the presence of CAST alleles of histone methyl-transferase Prdm9 on Chr17 can either activate or suppress the activity of four individual hotspots on mouse Chr 1. Study of another group on Psmb1 hotspot proved trans-regulation by factor mapped to the same region on Chr 17, at the region of Prdm9. The goal of this proposal is to clone Prdm9 and characterize the protein product of this factor; to find out its interactions with other recombination factors, which will identify the remaining part of the system controlling the mammalian recombination.