Cohesin protein identified as key protector of DNA during cell division

An international research team from the University of Zurich’s Institute of Molecular Cancer Research (IMCR) and the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) has identified a key mechanism that protects genetic information during cell division. The study, published in the journal Nature, focuses on a protein called cohesin.

Cohesin serves as a safety mechanism during DNA replication. While its known roles include holding chromosome copies together and assisting in DNA folding, researchers discovered it also acts as an anchor that prevents catastrophic errors when the duplication process encounters obstacles or chemical shortages.

When DNA replication is interrupted by replicative stress, the DNA can break or accumulate mutations if not managed correctly. By facilitating the reorganization of newly copied DNA, cohesin helps prevent these mutations, which are significant contributors to diseases such as cancer.