Structural highlights
Disease
[SYCP3_HUMAN] Male infertility with normal virilization due to meiosis defect. The disease is caused by mutations affecting the gene represented in this entry.
Function
[SYCP3_HUMAN] Component of the transverse filaments of synaptonemal complexes (SCS), formed between homologous chromosomes during meiotic prophase. Has an essential meiotic function in spermatogenesis. May be important for testis development. Required for efficient phosphorylation of HORMAD1 and HORMAD2 (By similarity).[1]
Publication Abstract from PubMed
The synaptonemal complex (SC) is an evolutionarily-conserved protein assembly that holds together homologous chromosomes during prophase of the first meiotic division. Whilst essential for meiosis and fertility, the molecular structure of the SC has proved resistant to elucidation. The SC protein SYCP3 has a crucial but poorly understood role in establishing the architecture of the meiotic chromosome. Here we show that human SYCP3 forms a highly-elongated helical tetramer of 20 nm length. N-terminal sequences extending from each end of the rod-like structure bind double-stranded DNA, enabling SYCP3 to link distant sites along the sister chromatid. We further find that SYCP3 self-assembles into regular filamentous structures that resemble the known morphology of the SC lateral element. Together, our data form the basis for a model in which SYCP3 binding and assembly on meiotic chromosomes leads to their organisation into compact structures compatible with recombination and crossover formation.
A molecular model for the role of SYCP3 in meiotic chromosome organisation.,Syrjanen JL, Pellegrini L, Davies OR Elife. 2014 Jun 20:e02963. doi: 10.7554/eLife.02963. PMID:24950965[2]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
