Aneuploidy due to germ cell chromosome mis-segregation during meiosis is a leading cause of miscarriage, age-related infertility and high Down’s syndrome incidence in humans. Sister chromatid cohesion during meiosis facilitates accurate chromosome segregation in germ cells.
The cohesin complex is important for sister chromatid cohesion in mammalian meiosis, particularly in oocytes. Lack of Rec 8-cohesin turnover in oocytes and loss of chromosomal-associated Rec8 contributes towards maternal age related aneuploidies. Premature ovarian insufficiency has been traced to Stag3 truncating variants in a few families.
Fish are a good model for understanding germ cell aneuploidy as they share many aspects of gamete development with mammals. However little is known about the roles of genes involved in meiosis in fish. In the present study, we characterise the zebrafish homologues of the meiotic cohesin subunits rec8 and stag3 with the aim of understanding how they influence gametogenesis and fertility.