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Molly F. Przeworski
Alan H. Kempner Professor of Biological Sciences and Systems Biology
Columbia University
The best laid plans of mice, men, birds and snakes: an evolutionary perspective on recombination
Abstract: In vertebrates, meiotic recombination ensures both the proper alignment and segregation of chromosomes, and modulates the efficacy of natural selection. Despite its essential roles, many aspects of the recombination process are rapidly-evolving. Notably, across mammals, recombination hotspots are specified in at least two ways: through the binding of PRDM9, as in mice and humans, and by targeting promoter-like features, as in dogs. Dr. Przeworski's work has shown that these two strategies are employed beyond mammals, and interdigitated across vertebrate species, with many independent losses of PRDM9. In this talk, she will present our research on the mechanistic basis and evolutionary selection pressures shaping the recombination landscape in vertebrates and its consequences for genome evolution.
Co-sponsored by The Departments of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Molecular and Cellular Biology