Vie de l'IBPC

Roles of chromosome compaction machines in the maintenance of genome integrity

 Prof. Damien D’Amours

University of Ottawa,

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine

invité par Teresa Teixeira

le vendredi 22 novembre à 11h - Bibliothèque de l'IBPC

Abstract :

The structural organization of chromosomes is a crucial feature that defines the functional state of genes and genomes. The extent of structural changes experienced by genomes of eukaryotic cells can be dramatic and spans several orders of magnitude. At the heart of these changes lies a unique group of ATPases –the SMC proteins– that act as major effectors of chromosome shape and behavior in cells. The Smc5/6 proteins play essential roles in the maintenance of genome stability, yet their mode of action is not understood. Here we show that the human Smc5/6 complex recognizes unusual DNA configurations and uses the energy of ATP hydrolysis to promote their compaction. Structural analyses revealed key interaction hubs responsible for the functionality of the Smc5/6 complex and how mutations in these regions lead to chromosome breakage syndromes in humans. Collectively, our results reveal that the Smc5/6 complex promotes genome stability as a DNA micro-compaction machine.