Events in meiotic cell division, such as homologous chromosome pairing, synapsis, and recombination, are required for proper chromosome segregation. I am investigating how Pairing Centers, cis-acting sites required for homologous chromosome pairing during meiosis in C. elegans, attach to the nuclear envelope via a Nuclear Envelope Bridge Complex (NEBC). Recently, the Dernburg Lab identified a family of related zinc-finger proteins required for Pairing Center function. These proteins form patches at the nuclear periphery with nuclear envelope proteins, such as ZYG-12 and SUN-1. These two factors a part of the NEBC that bridges the inner and outer nuclear membranes thereby connecting chromosomes with microtubules external to the nucleus. I am identifying additional components of the NEBC through suppressor screens of mutations in
zyg-12 and
sun-1. This work will address fundamental mechanisms of interaction between chromosomes, the nuclear envelope, and the cytoskeleton to better understand their contribution to normal cell division.