Losada Ana
Chromosome Dynamics Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Melchor Fernández Almagro 3, Madrid E-28029, Spain.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2008 Sep;1786(1):41-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2008.04.003. Epub 2008 Apr 24.
Sister chromatid cohesion is a major feature of the eukaryotic chromosome. It entails the formation of a physical linkage between the two copies of a chromosome that result from the duplication process. This linkage must be maintained until chromosome segregation takes place in order to ensure the accurate distribution of the genomic information. Cohesin, a multiprotein complex conserved from yeast to humans, is largely responsible for sister chromatid cohesion. Other cohesion factors regulate the interaction of cohesin with chromatin as well as the establishment and dissolution of cohesion. In addition, the presence of cohesin throughout the genome appears to influence processes other than chromosome segregation, such as transcription and DNA repair. In this review I summarize recent advances in our understanding of cohesin function and regulation in mitosis, and discuss the consequences of impairing the cohesion process at the level of the whole organism.
姐妹染色单体黏连是真核染色体的一个主要特征。它需要在染色体复制过程产生的两个拷贝之间形成物理连接。这种连接必须维持到染色体分离发生，以确保基因组信息的准确分配。黏连蛋白是一种从酵母到人类都保守的多蛋白复合体，在很大程度上负责姐妹染色单体黏连。其他黏连因子调节黏连蛋白与染色质的相互作用以及黏连的建立和溶解。此外，整个基因组中黏连蛋白的存在似乎会影响除染色体分离之外的其他过程，如转录和DNA修复。在这篇综述中，我总结了我们对有丝分裂中黏连蛋白功能和调控的最新认识进展，并讨论了在整个生物体水平上破坏黏连过程的后果。
