Cohesin: building loops, but not compartments.

Abstract

DNA is subjected to major cellular events, such as transcription, replication and DNA repair. To control these processes, the architecture of the DNA is tightly regulated. Recent work, including two studies in this issue of The EMBO Journal, provides compelling evidence that cohesin structures chromosomes through the processive enlargement of loops. While cohesin promotes chromosomal looping, it rather counteracts nuclear compartmentalization.