Sister chromatid cohesion

Article By:

Bickel, Sharon E. Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.

Gaudet, Justin J. Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.

Last reviewed:2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB110026

A cell's genome contains instructions required by that cell to function and exist. All organisms, whether single-celled or multicellular, require a complete set of instructions contained in the form of DNA for each cell to function properly. Thus, a cell faces two challenges: (1) it must replicate its entire genome; and (2) during cell division, it must ensure that each daughter cell receives one copy of the identical sister chromatids (duplicated DNA double helices), which were produced during replication. How the eukaryotic cell orchestrates DNA replication and how it ensures correct segregation of sister chromatids are fundamental questions in cell biology. Importantly, failure to accurately segregate chromosomes during cell division carries severe consequences for daughter cells, including aneuploidy (deviation from a normal chromosome number), which is a condition thought to contribute to the development of cancer. One cellular strategy that is essential for faithful chromosome segregation is sister chromatid cohesion.

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