PRDM9 losses in vertebrates are coupled to those of paralogs ZCWPW1 and ZCWPW2

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114401119
• Publication Date: 2022-02-25T21:25:46Z
• Authors: Maria Izabel A. C...; Zachary Baker; Carla Hoge; Mikkel H. Schierup; Molly Schumer; Molly Przeworski
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Cell Cycle Proteins; comparative genomics; Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods; Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase/genetics; Evolution, Molecular; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Genetics; Animals; Humans; genetics; Phylogeny; Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics; Recombination, Genetic; 0303 health sciences; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Comparative genomics; Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; Biological Sciences; Recombination; recombination; Phylogenetics; phylogenetics; PRDM9 evolution; Gene Deletion

Significance

We take a phylogenetic approach to search for molecular partners of PRDM9, a key meiotic recombination gene, by leveraging the fact that the complete PRDM9 gene has been lost at least 13 times independently in vertebrates. We identify two genes, ZCWPW1 and its paralog ZCWPW2 , whose presence or absence across vertebrates is coupled to that of PRDM9 . ZCWPW1 was recently shown to be recruited to sites of PRDM9 binding and to aid in the repair of double strand breaks. ZCWPW2 is likely recruited to sites of PRDM9 binding as well; its tight coevolution with PRDM9 across vertebrates suggests that it too plays an important role in mammals and beyond, either in double strand break formation or repair.