Cohesin complexes and sister chromatid cohesion in mammalian meiosis

Maintenance and precise regulation of sister chromatid cohesion is essential to ensure correct attachment of chromosomes to the spindle, thus preserving genome integrity by correct chromosome segregation. Errors in these processes often lead to aneuploidy, frequently implicated in cell death and/or tumor development. The so-called cohesin complexes are essential in sister chromatid cohesion during both mitosis and meiosis; they are responsible for maintaining sister chromatids together physically until their segregation during the metaphase/anaphase transition. The recent identification of new molecules involved in the control of sister chromatid cohesion, and the characterization of mouse loss-of-function models, have improved our understanding of the variety of cohesin complexes and their chromatin binding and removal regulation. This review will focus basically on the distribution and function of cohesin complexes during mammalian meiosis.