Meiotic cells monitor the status of the interhomolog recombination complex

During meiosis, mutations that cause defects at intermediate stages in the recombination process confer arrest at the end of prophase (e.g., pachytene). In yeast, mutations of this type include rad50S, dmc1, rad51, and zip1. Rad50 is likely part of a recombination initiation complex. DMC1, RAD51, and ZIP1 encode two RecA homologs and a synaptonemal complex protein, respectively. We report here the effects of mutations in two other (meiosis-specific) genes, RED1 and MEK1/MRE4, that encode a chromosome structure component and a protein kinase, respectively. A red1 or mek1/mre4 mutation alleviates completely rad50S, dmc1, rad51, and zip1 arrest. Furthermore, the red1 and mek1/mre4 mutations define a unique, previously unrecognized aspect of recombination imposed very early in the process, during DSB formation. Finally, the red1 and mek1/mre4 mutations appear to alleviate prophase arrest directly rather than by eliminating, or permitting bypass of, the rad50S, dmc1, rad51, or zip1 defects. These and other observations suggest that a meiosis-specific regulatory surveillance process monitors the status of the protein/DNA interhomolog recombination machinery as an integral entity, in its proper chromosomal context, and dependent upon its appropriate Red1 and Mek1/Mre4-promoted development. We speculate that a properly developed recombination complex emits an inhibitory signal to delay progression of meiotic cells out of prophase until or unless the recombination process has progressed, at least past certain critical steps, and perhaps to completion.