FANCM gene plays a key role in genetic recombination

Fanconi anemia, a recessive hereditary disease, leads to dysplasia, degeneration of bone marrow, and an increased risk of leukemia and tumors. Now, new research is showing the gene that causes this disease, FANCM, is also crucial to proper cell replication. The FANCM gene is known to be important for the stability of the genome, preventing the risk of cancer and other severe diseases, and is present in nearly all organisms. For this study, researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Birmingham used the plant thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) as a model organism. They found that At-FANCM is an important factor in the distribution and recombination of genetic material during meiosis of germ cells. "These findings cannot only be applied in biomedicine, but also in plant breeding in order to specifically improve the properties of usable crops," explains the Head of the Botanical Institute II of KIT, Holger Puchta.