The ATPase domains at the other [18,19]. Both microscopy and biochemical analyses have suggested that cohesin can form a ring capable of embracing two chromatin fibres, whereas isolated LM22A-4 manufacturer condensin often appears to fold back on itself forming a closed rod-like structure [18,20?3]. Despite their differing appearance, recent evidence suggests that condensin may also function by encircling chromatin fibres [24]. In addition to the SMC2 and SMC4 core subunits, condensin I complexes also contain three non-SMC subunits: CAP-H, CAP-G and CAP-D2 (in condensin II these are CAP-H2, CAP-G2 and CAP-D3) [25,26]. These subunits are responsible for differences in the timing and patterns of association of condensin I and II with chromosomes [27], and also for their differing roles in chromosome structure. Condensin I is thought to be involved primarily in lateral compaction of the mitotic chromosome axes, whereas condensin II is required for the rigidity of those axes [28,29]. CAP-H is a member of the kleisin family [30] that bridges between the two paired catalytic domains of SMC2 and SMC4, with the CAP-H N-terminus binding the former and its C-terminus the latter [31]. Based on a recent crystal structure of the kleisin Scc1 associated with cohesin heads, it is possible that CAP-H may also associate with the proximal portions of the condensin coiled-coil [32]. CAP-G and CAP-D2 are both HEAT (huntingtin, elongation factor 3, protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and TOR1) repeat proteins [33], and a recent study [34] suggests that those repeats may be involved in DNA binding. That study presented evidence suggesting that the CAP-H/CAP-G/CAP-D2 complex is involved in efficient targeting of condensin to chromosomes and in activation of the SMC2/SMC4 ATPase. Previous published work had suggested that the non-SMC subunits of condensin are phosphorylated in mitosis [25,35], and that this phosphorylation correlates with activation of the supercoiling activity of condensin [36]. The exact role of this supercoiling activity in mitotic chromosomes remains unknown. Efforts to obtain higher resolution structures of the various SMC-containing complexes have been hampered by the sheer size of the constituent proteins (for example, the Miransertib biological activity predicted molecular mass of the pentameric condensin complex is more than 660 kDa), and also by the flexible coiled-coil structure of the SMC proteins [18,20,37]. Despite the fact that coiled-coils were among the earliest structures to be identified from amino acid sequence information [38,39], high-resolution structural analysis of coiled-coil-containing proteins remains a challenge. Long two-stranded coiled-coil segments like those predicted in condensin and cohesin [3,9] are difficult to characterize structurally by high-resolution techniques owing to their elongated shape, local intrinsic flexibility [40] and tendency to aggregate [41]. Consequently, atomic coordinates for natural coiled-coil segments are both scarce and much shorter than the estimated 300?00 residues predicted to form anti-parallel coiled-coils in SMC2 and SMC4 [42?4]. Recently, systematic amino acid-selective cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry (CLMS) analysis has contributed important structural insights into proteins that areotherwise difficult to study [45,46]. CLMS allowed determination of the organization of the parallel coiled-coils of the kinetochore-associated NDC80 complex [47], enabling production of an NDC80 bonsai complex that was subsequently charact.The ATPase domains at the other [18,19]. Both microscopy and biochemical analyses have suggested that cohesin can form a ring capable of embracing two chromatin fibres, whereas isolated condensin often appears to fold back on itself forming a closed rod-like structure [18,20?3]. Despite their differing appearance, recent evidence suggests that condensin may also function by encircling chromatin fibres [24]. In addition to the SMC2 and SMC4 core subunits, condensin I complexes also contain three non-SMC subunits: CAP-H, CAP-G and CAP-D2 (in condensin II these are CAP-H2, CAP-G2 and CAP-D3) [25,26]. These subunits are responsible for differences in the timing and patterns of association of condensin I and II with chromosomes [27], and also for their differing roles in chromosome structure. Condensin I is thought to be involved primarily in lateral compaction of the mitotic chromosome axes, whereas condensin II is required for the rigidity of those axes [28,29]. CAP-H is a member of the kleisin family [30] that bridges between the two paired catalytic domains of SMC2 and SMC4, with the CAP-H N-terminus binding the former and its C-terminus the latter [31]. Based on a recent crystal structure of the kleisin Scc1 associated with cohesin heads, it is possible that CAP-H may also associate with the proximal portions of the condensin coiled-coil [32]. CAP-G and CAP-D2 are both HEAT (huntingtin, elongation factor 3, protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and TOR1) repeat proteins [33], and a recent study [34] suggests that those repeats may be involved in DNA binding. That study presented evidence suggesting that the CAP-H/CAP-G/CAP-D2 complex is involved in efficient targeting of condensin to chromosomes and in activation of the SMC2/SMC4 ATPase. Previous published work had suggested that the non-SMC subunits of condensin are phosphorylated in mitosis [25,35], and that this phosphorylation correlates with activation of the supercoiling activity of condensin [36]. The exact role of this supercoiling activity in mitotic chromosomes remains unknown. Efforts to obtain higher resolution structures of the various SMC-containing complexes have been hampered by the sheer size of the constituent proteins (for example, the predicted molecular mass of the pentameric condensin complex is more than 660 kDa), and also by the flexible coiled-coil structure of the SMC proteins [18,20,37]. Despite the fact that coiled-coils were among the earliest structures to be identified from amino acid sequence information [38,39], high-resolution structural analysis of coiled-coil-containing proteins remains a challenge. Long two-stranded coiled-coil segments like those predicted in condensin and cohesin [3,9] are difficult to characterize structurally by high-resolution techniques owing to their elongated shape, local intrinsic flexibility [40] and tendency to aggregate [41]. Consequently, atomic coordinates for natural coiled-coil segments are both scarce and much shorter than the estimated 300?00 residues predicted to form anti-parallel coiled-coils in SMC2 and SMC4 [42?4]. Recently, systematic amino acid-selective cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry (CLMS) analysis has contributed important structural insights into proteins that areotherwise difficult to study [45,46]. CLMS allowed determination of the organization of the parallel coiled-coils of the kinetochore-associated NDC80 complex [47], enabling production of an NDC80 bonsai complex that was subsequently charact.