Abstract
The fidelity of mitosis is essential for life, and successful completion of this process relies on drastic changes in chromosome organization at the onset of nuclear division. The mechanisms that govern chromosome compaction at every cell division cycle are still far from full comprehension, yet recent studies provide novel insights into this problem, challenging classical views on mitotic chromosome assembly. Here, we briefly introduce various models for chromosome assembly and known factors involved in the condensation process (e.g. condensin complexes and topoisomerase II). We will then focus on a few selected studies that have recently brought novel insights into the mysterious way chromosomes are condensed during nuclear division.
Highlights
The fidelity of mitosis is essential for life, and successful completion of this process relies on drastic changes in chromosome organization at the onset of nuclear division
This fascinating process comprises the assembly of interphase chromatin into individual chromosomes and subsequently the equal separation of the genetic material between two daughter cells
To ensure that cell division is feasible within the cell space, vertebrate cells compact their DNA around 2–3 times more than in interphase, as estimated by chromatin volume measurements[4,5] and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based assays between histones[6]
Summary
Mitotic chromosome condensation remains one of the greatest mysteries in cell biology. Recent advances in the field start to shed light onto this problem, it is fair to assume that we are still far from understanding the rules that govern mitotic chromosome assembly. Recent advances to dissect metaphase chromosome compaction fail to provide solid evidence for classical models of hierarchical folding or rigid protein scaffolds at the core of chromosome assembly. A multidisciplinary perspective of the problem, combining advanced imaging with in vivo and in vitro controlled manipulations, along with biophysical studies and modeling may in the future provide an integrative view to understand how chromosomes fold at the onset of every cell division process. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Grant information The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work
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