Beyond loops: cohesin plays central role in linking DNA architecture and epigenetics

The structural organization of DNA is important for regulating gene activity and ensuring proper cell function. The protein complex cohesin has a key role in this structural organization by folding DNA into loops. The lab of IMP Scientific Director Jan-Michael Peters now discovered that cohesin not only shapes DNA into loops but also positions the epigenetic reader Phf2 within the genome. Their findings, published in EMBO Journal, reveal an unexpected role of cohesin in bridging genome architecture and epigenetics.