Francesca Jones

• MSci Biomedical Genetics
• Does depletion of condensin complexes contribute to loss of oocyte chromosome architecture during female ageing?

Sexual reproduction depends on the formation of male and female sex cells, containing exactly one copy of each chromosome. This requires a specialised cell division called meiosis. Female meiosis is error-prone, increasing as women age resulting in infertility, birth defects and miscarriage. The overall aim in the Herbert lab is to understand how chromosome architecture is maintained, enabling accurate segregation in the two meiotic divisions.  Specifically, in this project we are interested in the complex cohesin. In mitosis (cellular division of non-sex cells), cohesin mediates cohesion between replicated sister chromatids and its removal is regulated by the enzyme PLK1 in the prophase pathway. The aim of my project was to determine whether the enzyme PLK1 is involved in removal of oocyte cohesin. My findings indicate that cohesin is removed by a PLK1-mediated mechanism, analogous to the prophase pathway in mitotic cells. This may compromise the chromosomal architecture in female meiosis.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Supervisor: Prof Mary Herbert