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Reposted by Schnittger Lab

Piotr Ziolkowski @piotraz.bsky.social · Sep 2

Breaking genetics news‼️🌱🌽 A natural DNA trick triples recombination in maize. What we first saw in Arabidopsis (@hendersi lab) a decade ago is now confirmed in crops—opening new doors for plant breeding. Published today in Nature Plants! More details 👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Enhancing local meiotic crossovers in Arabidopsis and maize through juxtaposition of heterozygous and homozygous regions - Nature Plants

This study discovered that locally confined DNA differences boost crossover rates in both Arabidopsis and maize, revealing a conserved mechanism that can accelerate plant breeding and trait introgress...

www.nature.com

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Sep 5

Happy lab reunion over Italian cross-over dinner with Chao Yang from Huazhong Agri Uni 🇨🇳—in town to share insights on meiotic recombination in rapeseed 🌱.

7 nations, 1 table. Science unites 🌍💬 #ScienceCommunity #LabLife

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Reposted by Schnittger Lab

Marie-Cécile Caillaud @mc-caillaud.bsky.social · Aug 25

In WT plants, expansion microscopy with spindle immunolabeling showed microtubule connections between spindle poles and the apicobasal cortex.

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 25

Thanks Yaniv. Very kind.

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Reposted by Schnittger Lab

raphmercier.bsky.social @raphmercier.bsky.social · Aug 25

The identification of the very conserved CTF18, SGO2 and SPF2 as suppressors of centromere-proximal crossovers highlights the importance of cohesin turnover in this process and opens up new possibilities for plant breeding. Much more in the paper : www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Unlocking meiotic crossovers near plant centromeres

Crossovers (COs) ensure proper chromosome segregation during meiosis and generate genetic diversity. COs are non-uniformly distributed along chromosomes and almost universally suppressed in centromere...

www.biorxiv.org

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 25

Six more years—plus a lot of blood, sweat, and tears—later, we are thrilled to finally share it: a cytological framework of female meiosis in Arabidopsis!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

A cytological framework of female meiosis in Arabidopsis

Female and male meiosis often differ in many aspects, such as their duration and the frequency as well as the positioning of crossovers. However, studying female meiosis is often very challenging and ...

www.biorxiv.org

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 25

This led to our first live cell imaging paper on Arabidopsis meiosis in 2019 elifesciences.org/articles/42834.

What we learned from the male side brought us back to our original question, and so began another chapter.

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 25

After 12 years…

In 2014, a wild idea was born: to follow female meiosis in Arabidopsis in real time. After many trials (including experiments with quirky mutants where female organs developed inside out, and a few other unconventional ideas), we switched gears to image the male side.

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 22

Fantastic collaboration with colleagues from Hungary and the Netherlands.

www.cell.com/iscience/ful...

Functional characterization of the Csm1-like protein TITAN 9 in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant genetics; Plant bioinformatics; Plant Biology; Plant physiology; Plant systematics; Plant evolution; Plant development

www.cell.com

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 22

While a complete knockout is lethal, meiosis-specific reduction of TTN9 causes striking chromosome segregation issues and abnormal centromere signals during meiosis I. Our findings support a conserved role for Csm1-like proteins in maintaining healthy chromosome segregation across eukaryotes.

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 22

Second: Some new findings about chromosome segregation in Arabidopsis!

We’ve characterized TITAN9 (TTN9), a distant Csm1-like protein in Arabidopsis. Proteomics revealed TTN9 associates with multiple kinetochore components, including DSN1.

Functional characterization of the Csm1-like protein TITAN 9 in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant genetics; Plant bioinformatics; Plant Biology; Plant physiology; Plant systematics; Plant evolution; Plant development

www.cell.com

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 22

Our work highlights an important role for stress granules during meiosis in response to heat stress.

This paper is also the first one from our local research network BIKON studying biomolecular condensates in Hamburg.

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 22

Interestingly, this behavior is specific to TAM; other meiotic cyclins do not form such condensates.

Crucially, we found that TAM’s recruitment to these granules enables plants to proceed to the second meiotic division under challenging conditions.

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 22

First up: understanding how plants defend themselves against heat stress. Our recent Science Advances paper shows that the meiotic cyclin TAM localizes to stress granules—special biomolecular condensates—during meiosis.

The recruitment of the A-type cyclin TAM to stress granules is crucial for meiotic fidelity under heat

The concentration of a meiotic regulator into membrane-less compartments assures genomic stability during reproduction.

www.science.org

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Aug 22

We’ve been a bit quiet here due to the climate around social media in politics. But behind the scenes, we’ve made some exciting progress and are happy to share several new papers!

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Jan 29

As seen on our kitchen cupboard:

Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Jan 29

Happy lunar year!

Celebrating with our team the year of the...

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Jan 28

Very cool project for a Ph.D. student in the team of our neighbors here at the Institute for Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg @uni-hamburg.de. Highly recommended.

Reposted by Schnittger Lab

Hoth Lab @hothlab.bsky.social · Jan 22

Here, an open PhD position to study the structure and dynamics of bimolecular condensates in plant cells by Cryo-EM and super resolution microscopy.

Please spread the word.

www.uni-hamburg.de/stellenangeb...

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Reposted by Schnittger Lab

PlantEvolution 🌱🌾 @plantevolution.bsky.social · Dec 20

#plantscience

African Plant Genomics Symposium @africanplantgen.bsky.social · Dec 20

*SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT NOW!!* Time and space is running out! Pre-register and submit your abstract NOW at www.plantgenomicsafrica.org to make your voice heard at the inaugural African Plant Genomics Symposium, 10-11 April 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya. #africanplantgenomics #plantgenomicsafrica

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Oct 17

Getting ready for the winter term - the calm before the storm...

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Oct 14

Here, a job advert for junior group leader position in Molecular Biology of Plants, especially with focus on cell division, cell cycle, chromosomes and DNA repair.

Please spread the word.

stellen.uni-hamburg.de/jobposting/d...

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Oct 11

Thanks a lot!

Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Oct 11

Thanks!

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Schnittger Lab @schnittger-lab.bsky.social · Oct 11

To start with, and perhaps as a sign for a new beginning, some picts from yesterday’s polar light magic over Hamburg.

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