TY - JOUR T1 - Synaptonemal complex components are required for meiotic checkpoint function in <em>C. elegans</em> JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/052977 SP - 052977 AU - Tisha Bohr AU - Guinevere Ashley AU - Evan Eggleston AU - Kyra Firestone AU - Needhi Bhalla Y1 - 2016/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/05/12/052977.abstract N2 - Synapsis involves the assembly of a proteinaceous structure, the synaptonemal complex (SC), between paired homologous chromosomes and is essential for proper meiotic chromosome segregation. In C. elegans, the synapsis checkpoint selectively removes nuclei with unsynapsed chromosomes by inducing apoptosis. This checkpoint depends on Pairing Centers (PCs), cis-acting sites that promote pairing and synapsis. We have hypothesized that the stability of homolog pairing at PCs is monitored by this checkpoint. Here, we report that synaptonemal complex components SYP-3, HTP-3, HIM-3 and HTP-1 are required for a functional synapsis checkpoint. Mutation of these components does not abolish PC function, indicating they are bonafide checkpoint components. These data suggest that, in addition to homolog pairing, SC assembly may be monitored by the synapsis checkpoint. ER -