Transgenerational chromosome repair in the asexual bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga.

Authors

Antoine Houtain, Marc Llirós Dupré, Boris Hespeels, Émilien Nicolas, Paul Simion, Julie Virgo, Anne-Catherine Heuskin, Thomas Lenormand, Bernard Hallet, Karine Van Doninck

Published in

Science advances. Volume 12. Issue 37. Pages eaee0891. Sep 11, 2026. Epub Sep 11, 2026.

Abstract

Homologous recombination is an essential DNA repair mechanism that also promotes chromosome pairing and ensures allele segregation during meiosis in sexual organisms. Here, we explore the dual function of homologous recombination in the bdelloid rotifer Adineta vaga, an asexual species known for its remarkable resilience to extreme genotoxic stresses. Genomic analyses reveal that A. vaga uses meiotic recombination to promote spontaneous crossovers and gene conversion during oogenesis and to repair the genome in response to DNA damage. The data also support a model of transgenerational DNA repair, termed break-induced homologous extension repair (BIHER), in which broken chromosomes are progressively restored over multiple generations. Our findings suggest that meiotic BIHER, coupled with the holocentric structure of chromosomes, may represent a key adaptation of life in extreme environments.

PMID:
42726870
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 12 Sep 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.