Chromosome Dynamics Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain.
Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2013 Feb;25(1):63-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2012.10.013. Epub 2012 Dec 6.
Cohesin is a four subunit complex, conserved from yeast to man, with the ability to hold together two DNA segments within its ring-shaped structure. When the two segments belong to sister chromatids, cohesin is mediating cohesion, which is essential for chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis and for homologous DNA repair. When the two DNA segments are in the same chromatid, a loop is formed. These chromatin loops are emerging as a mechanism for controlling the communication between enhancers and promoters and thereby regulate gene expression. They also facilitate DNA replication and recombination. Given all its essential functions, it is not surprising that mutations in cohesin and its interacting factors have been associated to cancer and developmental syndromes known as cohesinopathies.
黏合蛋白是一个由四个亚基组成的复合物，从酵母到人都保守存在，具有在其环形结构内将两个 DNA 片段保持在一起的能力。当两个片段属于姐妹染色单体时，黏合蛋白介导着黏合，这对于有丝分裂和减数分裂中的染色体分离以及同源 DNA 修复是必不可少的。当两个 DNA 片段位于同一染色单体上时，会形成一个环。这些染色质环作为一种控制增强子和启动子之间通讯的机制出现，从而调节基因表达。它们还促进了 DNA 复制和重组。鉴于其所有的重要功能，黏合蛋白及其相互作用因子的突变与癌症和发育综合征（称为黏合蛋白病）相关，这并不奇怪。
