TDM1 Regulation Determines the Number of Meiotic Divisions

PLoS Genet. 2016 Feb 12;12(2):e1005856. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005856. eCollection 2016 Feb.

Abstract

Cell cycle control must be modified at meiosis to allow two divisions to follow a single round of DNA replication, resulting in ploidy reduction. The mechanisms that ensure meiosis termination at the end of the second and not at the end of first division are poorly understood. We show here that Arabidopsis thaliana TDM1, which has been previously shown to be essential for meiotic termination, interacts directly with the Anaphase-Promoting Complex. Further, mutations in TDM1 in a conserved putative Cyclin-Dependant Kinase (CDK) phosphorylation site (T16-P17) dominantly provoked premature meiosis termination after the first division, and the production of diploid spores and gametes. The CDKA;1-CYCA1.2/TAM complex, which is required to prevent premature meiotic exit, phosphorylated TDM1 at T16 in vitro. Finally, while CYCA1;2/TAM was previously shown to be expressed only at meiosis I, TDM1 is present throughout meiosis. These data, together with epistasis analysis, lead us to propose that TDM1 is an APC/C component whose function is to ensure meiosis termination at the end of meiosis II, and whose activity is inhibited at meiosis I by CDKA;1-TAM-mediated phosphorylation to prevent premature meiotic exit. This provides a molecular mechanism for the differential decision of performing an additional round of division, or not, at the end of meiosis I and II, respectively.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / cytology
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Chromosomes, Plant / genetics
  • Cyclins / genetics
  • Cyclins / metabolism*
  • Epistasis, Genetic
  • Genes, Dominant
  • Genetic Testing
  • Meiosis*
  • Models, Biological
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Phosphorylation
  • Phosphothreonine / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism
  • Tetraploidy
  • Tubulin / metabolism

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Cyclins
  • Protein Subunits
  • TDM1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Tubulin
  • Phosphothreonine
  • Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome

Grants and funding

KR thanks the Czech Science Foundation, grant number 14-22346S for funding. This work was partly supported by grants-in-aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) to KS (No. 26291064) and HN (No. 26650106 and 15H01247). RM thanks the European Research Council, Grant number ERC 2011 StG 281659 (MeioSight), the Fondation Simone et Cino del Duca and the INRA BAP department. The IJPB benefits from the support of the Labex Saclay Plant Sciences-SPS (ANR-10-LABX-0040-SPS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.