Regulation of DNA break formation and repair in meiosis

Sexual reproduction requires the generation of special cells called gametes, i.e. eggs and sperms, which carry half the genome of the parent. Meiosis is the process by which the parental genome is divided. In order to segregate the genome in a controlled way, novel linkages between sequentially similar chromosomes need to be created. Linkages are made by making programmed breaks in the DNA, followed by controlled repair of these breaks. Understanding the process of breakage and repair in detail at the molecular level will provide new insights into human fertility and genetic diseases.