The cohesin complex holds sister chromatids together and prevents premature chromosome segregation until the onset of anaphase. Mcd1 (also known as Scc1), the α-kleisin subunit of cohesin, is a key regulatory subunit of the mitotic cohesin complex and is required for maintaining sister chromatid cohesion, chromosome organization, and DNA repair. We investigated the function of Mcd1 in meiosis by ectopically expressing Mcd1 during early meiotic prophase I in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mcd1 partially regulated the progression of meiotic recombination, sister chromatid separation, and nuclear division. DNA physical analysis during meiotic recombination showed that Mcd1 induced double-strand breaks (DSBs) but negatively regulated homologous recombination during DSB repair; Mcd1 expression delayed post-DSB stages, leading to inefficiencies in the DSB-to-joint molecule (JM) transition and subsequent crossover formation. These findings indicate that meiotic cells undergo Mcd1-mediated DSB formation during prophase I, and that residual Mcd1 could regulate the progression of JM formation during meiotic recombination.
