DNA topoisomerase 3-alpha is an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

that in humans is encoded by the ''TOP3A''

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

Function

This gene encodes a DNA topoisomerase, an enzyme that controls and alters the topologic states of DNA during transcription. This enzyme catalyzes the transient breaking and rejoining of a single strand of DNA which allows the strands to pass through one another, thus reducing the number of supercoils and altering the topology of DNA. This enzyme forms a complex with BLM which functions in the regulation of recombination in somatic cells.

Meiosis

Recombination during

meiosis Meiosis (; , since it is a reductional division) is a special type of cell division of germ cells in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, such as sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately resu ...

is often initiated by a DNA double-strand break (DSB). During recombination, sections of DNA at the 5' ends of the break are cut away in a process called ''resection''. In the ''strand invasion'' step that follows, an overhanging 3' end of the broken DNA molecule then "invades" the DNA of an homologous chromosome that is not broken forming a displacement loop (

D-loop In molecular biology, a displacement loop or D-loop is a DNA structure where the two strands of a double-stranded DNA molecule are separated for a stretch and held apart by a third strand of DNA. An R-loop is similar to a D-loop, but in this ca ...

). After strand invasion, the further sequence of events may follow either of two main pathways leading to a crossover (CO) or a non-crossover (NCO) recombinant (see

Genetic recombination Genetic recombination (also known as genetic reshuffling) is the exchange of genetic material between different organisms which leads to production of offspring with combinations of traits that differ from those found in either parent. In eukaryo ...

and see Figure). The pathway leading to a NCO is referred to as Synthesis-dependent strand annealing (SDSA). In the plant ''

Arabidopsis thaliana ''Arabidopsis thaliana'', the thale cress, mouse-ear cress or arabidopsis, is a small flowering plant native to Eurasia and Africa. ''A. thaliana'' is considered a weed; it is found along the shoulders of roads and in disturbed land. A winter a ...

'', multiple mechanisms limit meiotic COs. During meiosis TOP3A and RECQ4A/B helicase antagonize formation of COs in parallel to FANCM helicase. Sequela-Arnaud et al. suggested that CO numbers are restricted because of the long-term costs of CO recombination, that is, the breaking up of favorable genetic combinations of alleles built up by past

natural selection Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the heritable traits characteristic of a population over generations. Charle ...

. In the budding yeast ''

Saccharomyces cerevisiae ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'' () (brewer's yeast or baker's yeast) is a species of yeast (single-celled fungus microorganisms). The species has been instrumental in winemaking, baking, and brewing since ancient times. It is believed to have been o ...

'', the topoisomerase III (TOP3)-

RMI1 RecQ-mediated genome instability protein 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''RMI1'' gene. Genetic disorders Mutations in RMI1 are associated with Bloom-Syndrome like disorder. Two patients, both with microcephalic dwarfism came ...

heterodimer (that catalyzes DNA single-strand passage) forms a conserved complex with

Sgs1 Sgs1, also known as slow growth suppressor 1, is a DNA helicase protein found in ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae''. It is a homolog of the bacterial RecQ helicase. Like the other members of the RecQ helicase family, Sgs1 is important for DNA repair ...

helicase (an

ortholog Sequence homology is the biological homology between DNA, RNA, or protein sequences, defined in terms of shared ancestry in the evolutionary history of life. Two segments of DNA can have shared ancestry because of three phenomena: either a spec ...

of the human Bloom syndrome helicase). This complex promotes early formation of NCO recombinants during meiosis The TOP3-RMI1 strand passage activity appears to have two important functions during meiosis. First, strand passage activity is employed early in coordination with

helicase to promote proper recombination pathway choice. Second, strand passage activity is used later, independently of Sgs1 helicase, to prevent the persistence of unresolvable strand entanglements in recombination intermediates.

Interactions

TOP3A has been shown to

interact Advocates for Informed Choice, dba interACT or interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization using innovative strategies to advocate for the legal and human rights of children with intersex traits. The organizati ...

with

Bloom syndrome protein Bloom syndrome protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''BLM'' gene and is not expressed in Bloom syndrome. The Bloom syndrome gene product is related to the RecQ subset of DExH box-containing DNA helicases and has both DNA-stimula ...

Function

Meiosis

Interactions

References

Further reading