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Condensins

Condensins

Condensins are large protein complexes that use ATP to fuel the assembly of chromosomes during mitosis. They transform the tangled, shapeless mass of post-interphase DNA into individualized chromosomes by compacting, organizing, and segregating chromosomal DNA.
The plant and animal cells contain two types of condensin complexes—condensin I and condensin II. Both complexes have five subunits: two SMC (Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes) subunits, a kleisin subunit, and two HEAT-repeat...

Condensins

Condensins

Condensins are large protein complexes that use ATP to fuel the assembly of chromosomes during mitosis. They transform the tangled, shapeless mass of post-interphase DNA into individualized chromosomes by compacting, organizing, and segregating chromosomal DNA.
The plant and animal cells contain two types of condensin complexes—condensin I and condensin II. Both complexes have five subunits: two SMC (Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes) subunits, a kleisin subunit, and two HEAT-repeat...

Cohesins

Cohesins

Cohesin protein complexes are a molecular glue that holds two sister chromatids together. They play an important role both in mitosis and meiosis. In mitosis, all cohesin complexes present on the chromosomes are removed before the start of the anaphase stage.
Cohesin complexes in Meiotic Division
Meiosis involves two distinct rounds of chromosomal segregation and cell divisions— Meiosis I followed by Meiosis II – producing four daughter cells. Meiosis I includes the separation of homologous...

Cohesins

Cohesins

Cohesin protein complexes are a molecular glue that holds two sister chromatids together. They play an important role both in mitosis and meiosis. In mitosis, all cohesin complexes present on the chromosomes are removed before the start of the anaphase stage.
Cohesin complexes in Meiotic Division
Meiosis involves two distinct rounds of chromosomal segregation and cell divisions— Meiosis I followed by Meiosis II – producing four daughter cells. Meiosis I includes the separation of homologous...

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The spindle assembly checkpoint is a molecular surveillance mechanism ensuring the fidelity of chromosome segregation during anaphase. The checkpoint monitors the completion of all the prerequisite steps before chromosome segregation to determine whether the segregation process should proceed or be delayed.
Many proteins function together to control the spindle assembly checkpoint. Mutations affecting these proteins may allow cells to proceed into anaphase prematurely, resulting in the...

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

Inheritance of Chromatin Structures

Epigenetics is the study of inherited changes in a cell's phenotype without changing the DNA sequences. It provides a form of memory for the differential gene expression pattern to maintain cell lineage, position-effect variegation, dosage compensation, and maintenance of chromatin structures such as telomeres and centromeres. For example, the structure and location of the centromere on chromosomes are epigenetically inherited. Its functionality is not dictated or ensured by the underlying DNA...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

A Cell Free Assay to Study Chromatin Decondensation at the End of Mitosis

A Cell Free Assay to Study Chromatin Decondensation at the End of Mitosis

Published on: December 19, 2015

Condensin complexes regulate mitotic progression and interphase chromatin structure in embryonic stem cells.

Thomas G Fazzio¹, Barbara Panning

¹Biochemistry and Biophysics Department, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. thomas.fazzio@ucsf.edu

The Journal of Cell Biology

|February 24, 2010

Summary

Condensin complexes (Smc2 and Smc4) are essential for mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell viability, causing metaphase arrest and enlarged nuclei due to impaired chromatin compaction.

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Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

A Cell Free Assay to Study Chromatin Decondensation at the End of Mitosis

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Published on: December 19, 2015

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

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Identification of Enhancer-Promoter Contacts in Embryoid Bodies by Quantitative Chromosome Conformation Capture (4C)

Identification of Enhancer-Promoter Contacts in Embryoid Bodies by Quantitative Chromosome Conformation Capture (4C)

Published on: April 29, 2020

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Epigenetics
Genetics

Background:

An RNA interference screen identified 62 genes crucial for mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell viability.
Smc2 and Smc4, core components of mammalian condensin complexes, were among these essential genes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the specific roles of Smc2 and Smc4, and other identified genes, in ES cell biology.
To determine the unique functions of condensin complexes in ES cells compared to somatic cells.

Main Methods:

RNA interference (RNAi) mediated knockdown (KD) of specific genes in mouse ES cells and somatic cells.
Analysis of cell proliferation, viability, cell cycle progression (metaphase arrest), and nuclear morphology.
Assessment of chromatin compaction and epigenetic modifications.

Main Results:

Knockdown of Smc2 and Smc4, and 49 other identified genes, had minimal impact on somatic cell proliferation or viability.
In ES cells, Smc2 and Smc4 KD uniquely caused metaphase arrest and significantly enlarged interphase nuclei.
Nuclear enlargement resulted from defective chromatin compaction, not altered DNA content, and was associated with changes in epigenetic marks.

Conclusions:

Condensin complexes play a critical, unique role in maintaining interphase chromatin compaction in ES cells.
The essentiality of condensin complexes for ES cell viability is linked to their function in chromatin organization during interphase.