Compacting DNA during the interphase: condensin maintains rDNA integrity.
During mitosis, condensin is responsible for folding chromatin fibers into highly compact chromosomes, ensuring the faithful segregation of replicated chromosomes into daughter cells after each cell division. Our laboratory has unexpectedly found that condensin is capable of condensing DNA during the interphase: upon nutrient starvation, condensin is loaded to the rDNA array, leading to DNA condensation in this region. This subchromosomal DNA condensation appears to protect the integrity of the rDNA array. These observations provide the first microscopic evidence of DNA compaction by condensin outside mitosis. In addition, they show that condensin is also highly regulated outside mitosis.
Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
Chi Kwan
CK
Tsang
Yuehua
Y
Wei
X F Steven
XF
Zheng
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007399:Interphase / Q000235:genetics*; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; C108312:condensin complexes; D004247:DNA; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases