Chromosome Dynamics Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
Nat Rev Cancer. 2014 Jun;14(6):389-93. doi: 10.1038/nrc3743.
Cohesin is an evolutionarily conserved, four-subunit complex that entraps DNA fibres within its ring-shaped structure. It was originally identified and named for its role in mediating sister chromatid cohesion, which is essential for chromosome segregation and DNA repair. Increasing evidence indicates that cohesin participates in other processes that involve DNA looping, most importantly, transcriptional regulation. Mutations in genes encoding cohesin subunits and other regulators of the complex have recently been identified in several types of tumours. Whether aneuploidy that results from chromosome missegregation is the major contribution of cohesin mutations to cancer progression is under debate.
黏合蛋白是一种进化上保守的、由四个亚基组成的复合物，能够将 DNA 纤维束缚在其环形结构内。它最初因其在介导姐妹染色单体黏合中的作用而被鉴定和命名，这种黏合对于染色体分离和 DNA 修复至关重要。越来越多的证据表明，黏合蛋白参与其他涉及 DNA 环化的过程，最重要的是转录调控。最近在几种类型的肿瘤中发现了编码黏合蛋白亚基和该复合物其他调节剂的基因突变。由于染色体错误分离导致的非整倍体是否是黏合蛋白突变促进癌症进展的主要原因，目前仍存在争议。
