The relative ratio of condensin I to II determines chromosome shapes
Abstract
To understand how chromosome shapes are determined by actions of condensins and cohesin, we devised a series of protocols in which their levels are precisely changed in Xenopus egg extracts. When the relative ratio of condensin I to II is forced to be smaller, embryonic chromosomes become shorter and thicker, being reminiscent of somatic chromosomes. Further depletion of condensin II unveils its contribution to axial shortening of chromosomes. Cohesin helps juxtapose sister chromatid arms by collaborating with condensin I and counteracting condensin II. Thus, chromosome shaping is achieved by an exquisite balance among condensin I and II and cohesin.
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Footnotes
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↵1 Corresponding author.
E-mail hiranot{at}riken.jp.
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Supplemental material is available for this article.
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Article published online ahead of print. Article and publication date are online at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.2060311.
- Received April 18, 2011.
- Accepted June 9, 2011.
- Copyright © 2011 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press