Hyper-resistance of meiotic cells to radiation due to a strong expression of a single recA-like gene in Caenorhabditis elegans

Sensitivity of meiotic cells to DNA damaging agents is little understood. We have demonstrated that the meiotic pachytene nuclei in the Caenorhabditis elegans gonad are hyper-resistant to X-ray irradiation, but not to UV irradiation, whereas the early embryonic cells after fertilization and the full...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nucleic acids research 2000-11, Vol.28 (21), p.4232-4236
Main Authors: Takanami, T, Mori, A, Takahashi, H, Higashitani, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans - cytology
Caenorhabditis elegans - genetics
Caenorhabditis elegans - radiation effects
Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
Ce-rdh-1 gene
Chromosomes - genetics
Chromosomes - radiation effects
DNA Damage - genetics
DNA Damage - radiation effects
DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics
DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism
Genes, Helminth - genetics
In Situ Hybridization
Meiosis - genetics
Meiosis - radiation effects
Oocytes - metabolism
Oocytes - radiation effects
Rad51 Recombinase
Radiation Tolerance
Rec A Recombinases - genetics
Rec A Recombinases - metabolism
Recombination, Genetic - genetics
Recombination, Genetic - radiation effects
RNA, Double-Stranded - administration & dosage
RNA, Double-Stranded - genetics
RNA, Double-Stranded - metabolism
RNA, Messenger - analysis
RNA, Messenger - genetics
X-Rays
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Summary:Sensitivity of meiotic cells to DNA damaging agents is little understood. We have demonstrated that the meiotic pachytene nuclei in the Caenorhabditis elegans gonad are hyper-resistant to X-ray irradiation, but not to UV irradiation, whereas the early embryonic cells after fertilization and the full grown oocytes are not. The Ce-rdh-1 gene [RAD51, DMC1 (LIM15), homolog 1 or Ce-rad-51], which is essential for the meiotic recombination, is the only bacterial recA-like gene in the nematode genome, and is strongly expressed in the meiotic cells. Following silencing of the Ce-rdh-1 gene by RNA interference, the meiotic cells become more sensitive to X-ray irradiation than the early embryonic cells. This is the first report that meiotic cells are hyper-resistant to DNA strand breaks due to the high level of expression of the enzyme(s) involved in meiotic homologous recombination.
ISSN:1362-4962
0305-1048
1362-4962
DOI:10.1093/nar/28.21.4232