Global S&T Development Trend Analysis Platform of Resources and Environment
Condensin, a key component of the structure maintenance of chromosome (SMC) protein complexes, has recently been shown to be a motor that extrudes loops of DNA(1). It remains unclear, however, how condensin complexes work together to collectively package DNA into chromosomes. Here we use time-lapse single-molecule visualization to study mutual interactions between two DNA-loop-extruding yeast condensins. We find that these motor proteins, which, individually, extrude DNA in one direction only are able to dynamically change each other'
Single-molecule visualization shows that condensin-a motor protein that extrudes DNA in one direction only-can encounter and pass a second condensin molecule to form a new type of DNA loop that gathers DNA from both sides.
