Masato T. Kanemaki

Cohesin prevents local mixing of condensed euchromatic domains in living human cells

The human genome is folded into chromatin loops by the cohesin complex, forming functional chromatin domains that underlie transcription and DNA replication/repair. However, how cohesin organizes these domains in living cells, especially in active euchromatin, remains elusive. To...

MCM10 and RECQL4 have cooperative and redundant roles in activating the CMG helicase during the replication initiation

Abstract DNA replication initiation requires activation of the CMG helicase to establish the replisome. This process involves the extrusion of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) from the central channel of MCM double hexamers, allowing the two CMG helicases to pass each other; however,...

Cohesin acts as a transcriptional gatekeeper by restraining pause–release to promote processive elongation

Abstract Cohesin organizes 3D chromatin architecture, including promoter–enhancer loops, yet its loss has surprisingly modest effects on steady-state gene expression. We address this paradox by demonstrating that cohesin acts at different stages of transcription. First, it promot...