Condensin I folds the Caenorhabditis elegans genome

The structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) complexes-cohesin and condensins-are crucial for chromosome separation and compaction during cell division. During the interphase, mammalian cohesins additionally fold the genome into loops and domains. Here we show that, in Caenorhabditis elegans, a species with holocentric chromosomes, condensin I is the primary, long-range loop extruder. The loss of condensin I and its X-specific variant, condensin I^DC, leads to genome-wide decompaction, chromosome mixing and disappearance of X-specific topologically associating domains, while reinforcing fine-scale epigenomic compartments. In addition, condensin I/I^DC inactivation led to the upregulation of X-linked genes and unveiled nuclear bodies grouping together binding sites for the X-targeting loading complex of condensin I^DC. C. elegans condensin I/I^DC thus uniquely organizes holocentric interphase chromosomes, akin to cohesin in mammals, as well as regulates X-chromosome gene expression.