| Meiosis, is a specialized cell division by which gamates (eggs and sperm) are produced. During meiosis the genetic content is halved through two consecutive chromosome segregation phases, and allows organism to create new genetic combinations. It has been known for decades that age affects the fidelity of gamete production in humans. Particularly, non-disjunctions, the failure of chromosome pairs to separate properly during cell divisions, increase with age in human females. It is estimated that about 10% of human eggs have an abnormal number of chromosomes. Dr. Amon?s laboratory has now shown that age also affects the meiotic program in budding yeast, an organism with a well established aging program and a limited life-span. The first aim of this study is to determine how age effects the gene expression of IME1, a key regulator of meiotic entry. The second aim is to answer the question why chromosome mis-segregation is increased during meiosis and what are the molecular mechanisms that cause this. It is our hope that our studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae will shed light on how age affects chromosome segregation in all organisms. |
