Dynamic Reorganization of the Genome Shapes the Recombination Landscape in Meiotic Prophase

In meiotic prophase, chromosomes are organized into compacted loop arrays to promote homolog pairing and recombination. Here, we probe the architecture of the mouse spermatocyte genome in early and late meiotic prophase using Hi-C. Our data support the established loop-array model of meiotic chromosomes, and infer loops averaging 0.8–1 Mb in early prophase and extending to 1.5–2 Mb in late prophase as chromosomes compact and homologs undergo synapsis. Topologically associating domains (TADs) are lost in meiotic prophase, suggesting that assembly of the meiotic chromosome axis alters the activity of chromosome-associated cohesin complexes. While TADs are lost, physically-separated A and B compartments are maintained in meiotic prophase. Moreover, meiotic DNA breaks and inter-homolog crossovers preferentially form in the gene-dense A compartment, revealing a role for chromatin organization in meiotic recombination. Finally, direct detection of inter-homolog contacts genome-wide reveals the structural basis for homolog alignment and juxtaposition by the synaptonemal complex.