Seminar

A new role for cohesin in human DNA replication

Dr. Juan Méndez

Genomic DNA is packed in chromatin fibers organized in higher-order structures within the interphase nucleus. This organization provides a favorable environment to processes such as DNA replication, transcription and repair. We have recently found that cohesin participates in the spatial organization of DNA replication factories in human cells. Cohesin is enriched at replication origins and interacts with pre-replication complex proteins such as MCM. Downregulation of cohesin slows down S-phase progression by limiting the number of active origins and increasing the length of chromatin loops that correspond with replicon units. These results give a new dimension to the role of cohesin in the architectural organization of interphase chromatin