染色体交易，如复制、重组和分离, 被细胞周期检查点级联所监测。这些检查点确保需要进行的过程得以正确执行，从而保证基因组从一代细胞到下一代细胞以及跨代传承。在减数分裂的前期阶段，有一个特殊的检查点监测减数分裂的定义事件：程序化 DNA 断裂形成，接着是基于染色体内同源 (IH) 交叉的专门修复。这个检查点与在体细胞周期期间活跃的经典 DNA 损伤检查点共享分子特性。然而，减数分裂前期的特殊需求在这个信号级联中引入了独特的特征。在本综述中，我们讨论了减数分裂前期检查点的独特特征。虽然与经典的 DNA 损伤检查点级联相关，但是减数分裂前期检查点也与保护染色体分离的纺锤体装配检查点 (SAC) 显示出相似性。我们强调这些检查点的信号逻辑的新发现相似之处，这些逻辑控制了减数分裂前期和染色体分离，并讨论这些相似性如何帮助我们更好地理解减数分裂前期控制。我们还讨论了工作显示，在异常表达的情况下，减数分裂前期检查点的组分可能会改变癌细胞的 DNA 修复准确性和染色体分离。考虑到减数分裂前期的特殊特性所施加的要求，可以帮助我们理解检查点如何集成到减数细胞周期机制中。Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chromosomal transactions such as replication, recombination and segregation are monitored by cell cycle checkpoint cascades. These checkpoints ensure the proper execution of processes that are needed for faithful genome inheritance from one cell to the next, and across generations. In meiotic prophase, a specialized checkpoint monitors defining events of meiosis: programmed DNA break formation, followed by dedicated repair through recombination based on interhomolog (IH) crossovers. This checkpoint shares molecular characteristics with canonical DNA damage checkpoints active during somatic cell cycles. However, idiosyncratic requirements of meiotic prophase have introduced unique features in this signaling cascade. In this review, we discuss the unique features of the meiotic prophase checkpoint. While being related to canonical DNA damage checkpoint cascades, the meiotic prophase checkpoint also shows similarities with the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) that guards chromosome segregation. We highlight these emerging similarities in the signaling logic of the checkpoints that govern meiotic prophase and chromosome segregation, and how thinking of these similarities can help us better understand meiotic prophase control. We also discuss work showing that, when aberrantly expressed, components of the meiotic prophase checkpoint might alter DNA repair fidelity and chromosome segregation in cancer cells. Considering checkpoint function in light of demands imposed by the special characteristics of meiotic prophase helps us understand checkpoint integration into the meiotic cell cycle machinery.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.