Chromosome metamorphoses: on the atypical roles of condensin II

Every human being originates from a single fertilized egg cell, continuously duplicating to form a body consisting of trillions of cells in a process known as the cell cycle. This cycle involves two major stages: interphase, where the cell prepares for division, and mitosis, where it divides into two daughter cells. The accurate duplication and...

Real-time detection of condensin-driven DNA compaction reveals a multistep binding mechanism

Condensin, a conserved member of the SMC protein family of ring-shaped multi-subunit protein complexes, is essential for structuring and compacting chromosomes. Despite its key role, its molecular mechanism has remained largely unknown. Here, we employ single-molecule magnetic tweezers to measure, in real time, the compaction of individual...