DMC1 and H3K4me3 ChIP-seq from testes of B6xSPRETUS and B6xSTUS mice with genetically modified PRDM9 binding properties

Male offspring resulting from interbreeding of genetically diverged populations are frequently infertile or subfertile due to failures in chromosome pairing. The resulting reproductive isolation of the two populations represents an early step in speciation. In inter-subspecific mouse hybrids, the binding of the histone methyltransferase PRDM9 to both chromosome homologues at matching positions is important for successful chromosome pairing. This mechanistic property underpins Prdm9’s role as an important speciation gene, the only one yet identified in vertebrates. Here we show that this behaviour holds true for more distant evolutionary relationships across the species barrier. By altering PRDM9’s binding pattern, we restore fertility in hybrids of distinct species. Examination of DMC1 and H3K4me3 binding in the testes of B6xSPRETUS and B6xSTUS F1 mice with wild-type and genetically modified Prdm9 alleles