title: The cohesin complex and its roles in chromosome biology.
abstract: Cohesin is a chromosome-associated multisubunit protein complex that is highly conserved in eukaryotes and has close homologs in bacteria. Cohesin mediates cohesion between replicated sister chromatids and is therefore essential for chromosome segregation in dividing cells. Cohesin is also required for efficient repair of damaged DNA and has important functions in regulating gene expression in both proliferating and post-mitotic cells. Here we discuss how cohesin associates with DNA, how these interactions are controlled during the cell cycle; how binding of cohesin to DNA may mediate sister chromatid cohesion, DNA repair, and gene regulation; and how defects in these processes can lead to human disease.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), A-1030 Vienna, Austria. peters@imp.ac.at
authors.forename: Jan-Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002842:Chromatids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020090:Chromosome Segregation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011485:Protein Binding; D000097722:Cohesins
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D000097722:Cohesins