The dynamic role of cohesin in maintaining human genome architecture

Abstract

Recent advances in genomic and imaging techniques have revealed the complex manner of organizing billions of base pairs of DNA necessary for maintaining their functionality and ensuring the proper expression of genetic information. The SMC proteins and cohesin complex primarily contribute to forming higher‐order chromatin structures, such as chromosomal territories, compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs) and chromatin loops anchored by CCCTC‐binding factor (CTCF) protein or other genome organizers. Cohesin plays a fundamental role in chromatin organization, gene expression and regulation. This review aims to describe the current understanding of the dynamic nature of the cohesin‐DNA complex and its dependence on cohesin for genome maintenance. We discuss the current 3C technique and numerous bioinformatics pipelines used to comprehend structural genomics and epigenetics focusing on the analysis of Cohesin‐centred interactions. We also incorporate our present comprehension of Loop Extrusion (LE) and insights from stochastic modelling.

The MCM2-7 Complex: Roles beyond DNA Unwinding

“…It binds to chromatin and extrudes chromatin loops, resulting in chromosome folding and compaction. The proper formation of loops and domains, which are critically dependent on cohesin activity, are thought to ensure proper gene regulation by placing promotors and enhancers in the correct topological context (reviewed in [31]).…”