THE SMC FAMILY - FROM CHROMOSOME CONDENSATION TO DOSAGE COMPENSATION

Recent genetic analyses in yeasts and biochemical studies in vertebrat e cells have led to the discovery of a family of putative ATPases that play a fundamental role in chromosome condensation and segregation in mitosis. One of the members was also found to be involved in dosage c ompensation in Caenorhabditis elegans, providing a new link between gl obal regulation of gene expression and chromosome structure. This uniq ue family of proteins may control higher-order chromosome dynamics by regulated self-assembly or mechanochemical activity.