Bernabé Battista, Ph.D.

Research

I will investigate the molecular mechanisms that govern the accurate segregation of chromosomes during egg and sperm development. During meiosis—the cell division process that gives rise to sperm and eggs—chromosomes pair and exchange genetic information. This process, called “crossing over,” is initiated by the formation of a break in one of the chromosomal DNA molecules, and channeling repair of at least one break between each pair of chromosomes into a crossover repair pathway is essential for meiotic events, known as late chromosome remodeling. The Colaiácovo lab discovered that a pair of proteins that normally cap the ends of chromosomes, called POT1 and POT3, act as novel regulators of late chromosome remodeling in the model worm C. elegans. Now, using advanced methods in cell biology, molecular genetics, and super-resolution microscopy, I will determine where along meiotic chromosomes these proteins—and the two other proteins in the POT family—bind, and I will assess how eliminating all four POT proteins affects chromosome integrity during meiosis. I will also examine how POT protein localization changes in response to DNA damage. This work could lead to the development of new strategies for minimizing improper chromosome segregation and thereby preventing infertility, miscarriages, and even cancer.