Abstract

Meiosis is a reductive cell division resulting in haploid gametes necessary for sexual reproduction. Early in meiosis homologous chromosomes pair and exchange genetic information, i.e. undergo recombination, or crossover. The distribution of crossovers along chromosomes varies in different species and individuals. Although the mechanism of recombination is quite well described in many organisms, little is known about why some regions on the chromosome undergo recombination more frequently than others creating the so-called ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ spots of recombination. To address this question we are creating a high-resolution recombination map of Arabidopsis thaliana using restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing combined with Illumina. In parallel we are testing the hypothesis whether epigenetic information, for example, DNA methylation, affects the distribution of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ spots of recombination.