Mathilde
GRELON
INRAE Research Director, Group leader
Mechanisms of meiotic recombination team (MEIOME)
ORCID link : 0000-0003-3695-4984
Website links : Research Team
IRP : Connecting Chromosomes and the Nuclear Envelope: Mechanisms Shaping Meiotic Prophase Organization
IJPB, INRAE Versailles, France
Chromosome dynamics during meiosis
Meiosis is the specialized cell division that generates haploid cells and underpins sexual reproduction. Using complementary approaches in genetics, molecular biology, cytology, and advanced live-cell imaging, our team investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern meiotic progression in plants. A major focus of our work is the dynamic behavior of chromosomes during meiotic prophase and its contribution to faithful homolog recognition, pairing and synapsis. Several of our current projects rely on live imaging and super-resolution cytogenetics to capture meiotic events with high spatial and temporal resolution. In particular, we aim to characterize rapid meiotic prophase chromosome movements and decipher their functional roles. We further investigate how cytoskeletal forces are transmitted to chromosomes through the nuclear envelope via conserved LINC complexes. Finally, we analyze the composition, assembly, and dynamics of the synaptonemal complex and elucidate how this structure controls crossover formation, interference, and recombination patterning.
Five Main Publications
Identification of the cytoplasmic motor–LINC complex involved in rapid chromosome movements during meiotic prophase in Arabidopsis thaliana
Cai B., Andrade M. T., Luo Y., Lefranc S., Cao F., Chambon A., Yuan X., Peuch M., Zhang Y., Hurel A., Guérin J., Vrielynck N., Mézard C., Andrey P., Vrielynk N., Yang C., Grelon M. (2025). Nature Plants, Jul 25. doi: 10.1038/s41477-025-02043-4
Rapid meiotic prophase chromosome movements in Arabidopsis thaliana are linked to essential reorganization at the nuclear envelope
Cromer L., Tiscareno-Andrade M., Lefranc S., Chambon A., Hurel A., Brogniez M., Guérin J., Le Masson I., Adam G., Charif D., Andrey P., Grelon M. (2024). Nature Communications, 15 (1), 5964. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50169-4.
Live Imaging Characterization of Centromere Movements During Male Meiotic Prophase in Arabidopsis thaliana
Lefranc S, Andrey P, Grelon M, Cromer L. (2024). J Vis Exp. 2025 Oct 24;(224). doi: 10.3791/68569.
SCEP1 and SCEP2 are two new components of the synaptonemal complex central element
Vrielynck N., Peuch M., Durand S., Lian Q., Chambon A., Hurel A., Guérin J., Guérois R., Mercier R., Grelon M., Mézard C. (2023). Nature Plants, 9 (12), 2016-2030. doi: 10.1038/s41477-023-01558-y
Conservation and divergence of meiotic DNA double strand break forming mechanisms in Arabidopsis thaliana
Vrielynck N., Schneider K., Rodriguez M., Sims J., Chambon A., Hurel A., De Muyt A., Ronceret A., Krsicka O., Mézard C., Schlögelhofer P., Grelon M. (2021). Nucleic Acids Res 49: 9821–9835. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkab715