Cohesin: the cherry moecule that safeguards cell division
Scientist from the research institute of Vienna have for the first time discovered a way to visualize the molecule cohesin in action. Cohesin is the molecule responsible for keeping the sister chromatid and chromosomes together. This allows the chromosomes to all align correctly during meta-phase before being further split up and assigned to different cytoplasm in the dividing cell. Without the safeguarding property of cohesin, one side of the cell may obtain more chromosomes than the other. This can in turn lead to a defective cell becoming cancerous. Cohesin was discovered in 1997 but a technique by a graduate student Pim Huis showed that cohesin acts similar to a carabiner that rock climbers use. By inserting mutant alleles from a virus into a worm Pim was able to force the cohesin to stay unlocked. Cohesin turns out to have a lock and key mechanism that prevents the segregation of chromatids. This was recently seen for the first time on screen.
This finding can be very important simply because cohesin is an important molecule when it comes to cell division. This is also an important step towards cell division. As previously stated cohesin helps prevent cancerous cells and knowledge of cohesin can help reduce cancer in society.
Main article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141121085944.htm
Related article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1256904
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