Yeast cohesin complex requires a conserved protein, Eco1p(Ctf7), to establish cohesion between sister chromatids during DNA replication

• Published in: Genes & development 1999-02, Vol.13 (3), p.320-333
• Main Authors: Tóth, A, Ciosk, R, Uhlmann, F, Galova, M, Schleiffer, A, Nasmyth, K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Chromatin; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; Cohesins; Conserved Sequence; DNA Replication; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; Fungal Proteins - physiology; Genes, Fungal; Mice; Molecular Sequence Data; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Nuclear Proteins - physiology; Phosphoproteins; Research Paper; S Phase; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
• ISSN: 0890-9369
• DOI: 10.1101/gad.13.3.320

Sister chromatid cohesion is crucial for chromosome segregation during mitosis. Loss of cohesion very possibly triggers sister separation at the metaphase --> anaphase transition. This process depends on the destruction of anaphase inhibitory proteins like Pds1p (Cut2p), which is thought to liberate a sister-separating protein Esp1p (Cut1p). By looking for mutants that separate sister centromeres in the presence of Pds1p, this and a previous study have identified six proteins essential for establishing or maintaining sister chromatid cohesion. Four of these proteins, Scc1p, Scc3p, Smc1p, and Smc3p, are subunits of a 'Cohesin' complex that binds chromosomes from late G1 until the onset of anaphase. The fifth protein, Scc2p, is not a stoichiometric Cohesin subunit but it is required for Cohesin's association with chromosomes. The sixth protein, Eco1p(Ctf7p), is not a Cohesin subunit. It is necessary for the establishment of cohesion during DNA replication but not for its maintenance during G2 and M phases.