FIGL1 limits the formation of meiotic non crossover events in Arabidopsis thaliana

Meiotic recombination produces both crossover and non crossover events that are essential in the history of population genetics and evolution of species. In Arabidopsis thaliana, several pathways control the rate and distribution of crossovers. Here, by sequencing the four products of a series of tetrads, we confirm the antiCO role of RECQ4A, RECQ4B, FIGL1 and FANCM. Moreover, when one of this gene is mutated, complex chimeric gene conversion events associated to crossover are observed suggesting a role of these proteins in limiting the multiple strand invasions. Nothing was known about the factors that could limit or increase NCOs. Here, we show that FIGL1 plays a major role in controlling the NCO number.