In Vitro Reconstitution of SPO11-Mediated DNA Cleavage Sheds New Light on the Initiation of Meiotic Recombination

Three recent studies report the first biochemical reconstitution of DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation by SPO11, the topoisomerase-derived transesterase that initiates meiotic recombination in sexually reproducing organisms. A central conclusion of these studies is that SPO11 is sufficient to catalyze DSBs in vitro, but cleavage is limited by the poor propensity of SPO11 to dimerize, thereby providing an effective mechanism to prevent uncontrolled breaks. The studies yield new insights into the mechanism of DNA DSB formation and raise new questions regarding the functions of SPO11 partners, the impact of the DNA substrate, the coordination between cleavage events, and the reversibility of the reaction.