Isolation, DNA sequence, and regulation of a meiosis-specific eukaryotic recombination gene

The SPO11 gene, required for meiotic recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been cloned by direct selection for complementation of the spo11-1 phenotype: lack of meiotic recombination and low spore viability. DNA sequencing indicates that the gene encodes a 398-amino acid protein having a predicted molecular mass of 45.3 kDa. There is no significant similarity between the SPO11 protein and other protein sequences, including those from genes known to be involved in DNA recombination or repair. Strains bearing a disruption allele are viable, indicating that SPO11 is dispensable for mitotic growth. RNA analyses demonstrate that SPO11 produces a 1.5-kilobase transcript that is developmentally regulated and expressed early in the sporulation process.