The Coiled Coils of Cohesin Are Conserved in Animals, but Not In Yeast Cohesin's Coiled Coils
2009

Cohesin's Coiled Coils Are Conserved in Animals but Not in Yeast

publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): White Glenn E., Erickson Harold P.

Hypothesis

The coiled coils of cohesin are highly conserved in animals but show less conservation in yeast.

Conclusion

Cohesin's coiled coils are crucial for sister chromatid cohesion in all species, with additional functions in animals that impose constraints on their sequence.

Supporting Evidence

  • The coiled coils of SMC1/3 are highly constrained in Drosophila and other insects.
  • In yeast, the coiled coils of SMC1/3 are not more constrained than those of SMC2/4.
  • Mutations in SMC1/3 are linked to Cornelia de Lange Syndrome in humans.
  • Cohesin has roles in gene expression in post-mitotic neurons of Drosophila.
  • The coiled coils of SMC1/3 show less sequence divergence than those of SMC2/4 across various species.

Takeaway

Cohesin proteins help keep chromosomes together during cell division, and their structure is very similar in animals but different in yeast.

Methodology

The study analyzed the coiled coils of cohesin proteins across various species, comparing their sequence divergence.

Limitations

The study primarily focuses on sequence conservation and does not explore functional implications in detail.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0004674

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication