Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes are ring-shaped ATPases, conserved from bacteria to human, which shape chromosomes and ensure their accurate transmission during cell divisions. Eukaryotes possess three distinct SMC protein complexes, named condensins, cohesin and SMC5/6. Condensins structure and condense chromosomes, cohesin mediates sister-chromatid cohesion and organises topological domains in the genome during interphase, and SMC5/6 promotes proper DNA replication and repair. Condensins have been best characterised as the key drivers of the assembly of mitotic chromosomes. The profound reorganisation of chromatin fibres into compact and individualised rod-shaped chromosomes that marks the entry into mitosis is essential for the accurate transmission of the genome during anaphase. When the function of condensins is impaired, chromosome arms remain entangled and hence fail to separate, leading to the formation of sustained anaphase chromatin bridges and DNA breakage during telophase and in post-mitotic cells. CryoEM was recently used to characterize the structure and dynamics of yeast condensin. Here you can see the yeast condensin-DNA complex showing how the protein complex interacts with DNA (PDB code: 7QEN)
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #DNA ... #condensin ... #chromosome ... #interaction ... #maintenance ... #cryoem
Structure of the condensin-DNA complex rendered with @proteinimaging and depicted with @corelphotopaint
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #DNA ... #condensin ... #chromosome ... #interaction ... #maintenance ... #cryoem
Structure of the condensin-DNA complex rendered with @proteinimaging and depicted with @corelphotopaint
