Investigating functional links between Condensin and DNA replication in the fission yeast S. pombe

Abstract

Condensin is a universal genome organiser with diverse roles throughout the cell cycle. While its role in mitotic chromosome condensation has been well characterized, its role during the remaining cell cycle is still unexplored. Studies have shown that condensin is active and functional during interphase. It remains unclear however, whether condensin is involved in DNA replication and/or DNA damage repair and how this function is achieved. In this study, I have used the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe to show that condensin is involved in the maintenance of DNA integrity during replication stress. We propose that condensin is involved in DNA checkpoint pathways and function as a link between DNA replication and mitotic condensation.