Molecular mechanisms of chromosome assembly mediated by condensins

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The assembly and segregation of chromosomes represent two of the fundamental processes that ensure faithful inheritance and expression of the genetic information. In the current study, we have investigated the structure, function and regulation of condensins (and cohesins) that play central roles in these processes. A wide variety of experimental systems (frog egg extracts, tissue culture cells, mouse oocytes, and red-algal and bacterial cells) and interdisciplinary approaches (cell biology, molecular genetics, biochemistry, and structural biology) were effectively combined, leading to an integrated picture of how this highly sophisticated class of molecular machines might work in vivo and in vitro. The outcome of the current study also expanded and deepened our evolutionary insights into chromosome architecture and the etiology of a human disease accompanying condensin’s misregulation.