title: SMC protein complexes and the maintenance of chromosome integrity.
abstract: Structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) family proteins have attracted much attention for their unique protein structure and critical roles in mitotic chromosome organization. Elegant genetic and biochemical studies in yeast and Xenopus identified two different SMC heterodimers in two conserved multiprotein complexes termed 'condensin' and 'cohesin'. These complexes are required for mitotic chromosome condensation and sister chromatid cohesion, respectively, both of which are prerequisite to accurate segregation of chromosomes. Although structurally similar, the SMC proteins in condensin and cohesin appear to have distinct functions, whose specificity and cell cycle regulation are critically determined by their interactions with unique sets of associated proteins. Recent studies of subcellular localization of SMC proteins and SMC-containing complexes, identification of their interactions with other cellular factors, and discovery of new SMC family members have uncovered unexpected roles for SMC proteins and SMC-containing complexes in different aspects of genome functions and chromosome organization beyond mitosis, all of which are critical for the maintenance of chromosome integrity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, 240D Med. Sci. I, College of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA. kyokomor@uci.edu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokomori
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D002875:Chromosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014981:Xenopus; D000097722:Cohesins
chemical_list: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000097722:Cohesins; C118650:SMC protein, Bacteria; C108312:condensin complexes