Cohesin-interacting protein WAPL-1 regulates meiotic chromosome structure and cohesion by antagonizing specific cohesin complexes

• Main Authors: Oliver Crawley, Consuelo Barroso, Sarah Testori, Nuria Ferrandiz, Nicola Silva, Maikel Castellano-Pozo, Angel Luis Jaso-Tamame, Enrique Martinez-Perez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: eLife Sciences Publications Ltd 2016-02-01
• Series: eLife
• Subjects: Meiosis; Cohesin; Sister chromatid cohesion; Chromosome structure
• Online Access: https://elifesciences.org/articles/10851

Wapl induces cohesin dissociation from DNA throughout the mitotic cell cycle, modulating sister chromatid cohesion and higher-order chromatin structure. Cohesin complexes containing meiosis-specific kleisin subunits govern most aspects of meiotic chromosome function, but whether Wapl regulates these complexes remains unknown. We show that during C. elegans oogenesis WAPL-1 antagonizes binding of cohesin containing COH-3/4 kleisins, but not REC-8, demonstrating that sensitivity to WAPL-1 is dictated by kleisin identity. By restricting the amount of chromosome-associated COH-3/4 cohesin, WAPL-1 controls chromosome structure throughout meiotic prophase. In the absence of REC-8, WAPL-1 inhibits COH-3/4-mediated cohesion, which requires crossover-fated events formed during meiotic recombination. Thus, WAPL-1 promotes functional specialization of meiotic cohesin: WAPL-1-sensitive COH-3/4 complexes modulate higher-order chromosome structure, while WAPL-1-refractory REC-8 complexes provide stable cohesion. Surprisingly, a WAPL-1-independent mechanism removes cohesin before metaphase I. Our studies provide insight into how meiosis-specific cohesin complexes are regulated to ensure formation of euploid gametes.