Ongoing Projects
Principles governing the inheritance of short chromosomes in meiosis
A limited number of DNA breaks and crossovers are distributed across the genome. This may pose a potential caveat for the short chromosomes, wherein short chromosomes may encounter fewer DNA breaks and crossovers and become prone to inheritance errors. However, short chromosomes exhibit a higher density of DNA breaks and crossovers ensuring their faithful inheritance in meiosis. The underlying molecular mechanisms which dictate these processes are not known. We are investigating several models to understand the molecular mechanisms that contribute to inheritance fidelity of short chromosomes.
Understanding the meiotic DNA break repair template choice in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Unrepaired DNA breaks are potentially genotoxic. During meiosis, the DNA breaks are preferentially repaired with the homologue despite the presence of an identical sister chromatid in close proximity. Repair with the homologue as crossovers aids in proper orientation of chromosomes, thus avoiding missegregation. At the same time, repair with the homologue at certain chromosomal domains maybe problematic. The mechanisms governing these choices is not entirely unclear. Study of key regulators of template choice decision and genome-wide mapping of template choice can give insights into the interplay of this decision making.