Homology search and DNA strand–exchange reactions are central to homologous
recombination in meiosis. During meiosis, these processes are regulated such that the …

Polyploidy, which arises from genome duplication, has occurred throughout the history of
eukaryotes, though it is especially common in plants. The resulting increased size …

To combat DNA damage, organisms mount a DNA damage response (DDR) that results in
cell cycle regulation, DNA repair and, in severe cases, cell death. Underscoring the …

Meiosis is a central feature of sexual reproduction. Studies in plants have made and
continue to make an important contribution to fundamental research aimed at the …

Meiosis ensures the reduction of the genome before the formation of generative cells and
promotes the exchange of genetic information between homologous chromosomes by …

MUS81 is conserved among plants, animals, and fungi and is known to be involved in
mitotic DNA damage repair and meiotic recombination. Here we present a functional …

SPO11, a homolog of the subunit A of the archaebacterial topoisomerase VI, is essential for
double-strand break (DSB)–induced initiation of meiotic recombination. In contrast with …

Polyploidy has had a considerable impact on the evolution of many eukaryotes, especially
angiosperms. Indeed, most—if not all—angiosperms have experienced at least one round of …

A wide variety of life cycles can be found in the different groups of multicellular eukaryotes.
Here we provide an overview of this variety, and review some of the theoretical arguments …

Background Meiosis is a critical process in the reproduction and life cycle of flowering plants
in which homologous chromosomes pair, synapse, recombine and segregate …