McNairn Adrian J, Gerton Jennifer L
Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.
Trends Genet. 2008 Aug;24(8):382-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2008.06.002. Epub 2008 Jul 2.
Since their discovery, the cohesin proteins have been intensely studied in multiple model systems to determine the mechanism of chromosome cohesion. Recent studies have demonstrated that cohesin is much more than a molecular glue that holds chromosomes together in mitosis. Indeed, cohesin performs critical roles in gene regulation, possibly through the formation of higher-order chromatin structure. Moreover, this newly appreciated role is necessary for proper development in metazoan species, with mutations in the cohesin pathway resulting in human developmental disorders.
自被发现以来，黏连蛋白已在多个模型系统中得到深入研究，以确定染色体黏连的机制。最近的研究表明，黏连蛋白远不止是一种在有丝分裂中将染色体维系在一起的分子胶水。事实上，黏连蛋白在基因调控中发挥着关键作用，可能是通过形成高阶染色质结构来实现的。此外，这种新认识到的作用对于后生动物物种的正常发育是必要的，黏连蛋白途径中的突变会导致人类发育障碍。
