Control of meiotic recombination frequency in plant genomes

► Meiotic recombination is highly conserved within eukaryotes and has a profound effect on genetic variation and species evolution. ► A complex process of homologous chromosome pairing and recombination occurs during meiosis, resulting in genetic crossover. ► Plant genome size and architecture varies over a large range, and increased repeat content associates with decreased recombination frequency. ► Repeat sequences are epigenetically modified in plants, which may inhibit meiotic recombination. ► Loss of DNA methylation causes epigenetic remodeling of crossover frequencies.