DNA cytosine methylation suppresses meiotic recombination at the sex-determining region

Abstract

Meiotic recombination between homologous chromosomes is vital for maximizing genetic variation among offspring. However, sex-determining regions are often rearranged and blocked from recombination. It remains unclear whether rearrangements or other mechanisms might be responsible for recombination suppression. Here, we uncover that the deficiency of the DNA cytosine methyltransferase DNMT1 in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii causes anomalous meiotic recombination at the mating-type locus (MT), generating haploid progeny containing both plus and minus mating-type markers due to crossovers within MT. The deficiency of a histone methyltransferase for H3K9 methylation does not lead to anomalous recombination. These findings suggest that DNA methylation, rather than rearrangements or histone methylation, suppresses meiotic recombination, revealing an unappreciated biological function for DNA methylation in eukaryotes.