Antibodies for detection of Condensin complex proteins - By: Charlie Board

Cellular growth and development is dependent upon the segregation, assembly and duplication of chromosomes. Condensin and cohesin complexes play a pivotal role in this process. Knowledge of normal cell development is essential to understanding the changes that take place during abnormal development, for example in tumour formation. Therefore bioassays using cohesin and condensin antibodies are an important part of clinical research.

Chromosome function is dependent upon SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes) proteins. Both the condensin and the cohesin complex have cores composed of definitive heterodimers of SMC. Regulatory non-SMC subunits complete the complex.

There are at least two condensin complexes in mammalian cells – condensin l and ll. Both are heteropentameric complexes (composed of 5 sub-units.) These have the same SMC subunits, SMC 2 and 4, but differ in their non-SMC components. During cell division, each plays a different role in chromosomal condensation. Condensin 1 is found in the cytoplasm and affects the chromosome at the end of prophase, whereas condensin ll is found in the nucleus and is involved in the early part of interphase.

The non-SMC subunits of condensin l are CAP-D2, CAP-G and CAP-H. For condensin ll they are CAP-D3, CAP-G2 and CAP-H2. Immunoassays using antibodies targeted to these subunits has led to a basic understanding of their functions. For example, CAP-D2 may target condensin to DNA via its C-terminal, thus converting interphase chromatin into condensed chromosomes. Antibody assays suggest this is done by positively supercoiling relaxed DNA in the presence of topoisomerase l, and then converting nicked DNA into its knotted form via topoisomerase ll.

Condensin maintains the structural integrity of heterochromatin during mitosis; studies suggest CAP-H is important in this. CAP-D3 may play a similar pivotal role in the resolution of centromeres. We at Novus Biologicals have immunoglobulins specific to all known SMC and non-SMC sub-units on our antibody database. Further research will lead to a better understanding of how condensins maintain chromosomal integrity during cell division.

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