Cohesin Releases DNA through Asymmetric ATPase-Driven Ring Opening

Cohesin stably holds together the sister chromatids from S phase until mitosis. To do so, cohesin must be protected against its cellular antagonist Wapl. Eco1 acetylates cohesin's Smc3 subunit, which locks together the sister DNAs. We used yeast genetics to dissect how Wapl drives cohesin from chromatin and identified mutants of cohesin that are impaired in ATPase activity but remarkably confer robust cohesion that bypasses the need for the cohesin protectors Eco1 in yeast and Sororin in human cells. We uncover a functional asymmetry within the heart of cohesin's highly conserved ABC-like ATPase machinery and find that both ATPase sites contribute to DNA loading, whereas DNA release is controlled specifically by one site. We propose that Smc3 acetylation locks cohesin rings around the sister chromatids by counteracting an activity associated with one of cohesin's two ATPase sites. Tight regulation of DNA entrapment and release by the cohesin complex is crucial for its multiple cellular functions. Elbatsh et al. find that cohesin's release from DNA requires an activity associated with one of its ATPase sites, whereas both sites control cohesin's loading onto DNA

Principles of meiotic chromosome assembly revealed in S. cerevisiae

During meiotic prophase, chromosomes organise into a series of chromatin loops emanating from a proteinaceous axis, but the mechanisms of assembly remain unclear. Here we use Saccharomyces cerevisiae to explore how this elaborate three-dimensional chromosome organisation is linked to genomic sequence. As cells enter meiosis, we observe that strong cohesin-dependent grid-like Hi-C interaction patterns emerge, reminiscent of mammalian interphase organisation, but with distinct regulation. Meiotic patterns agree with simulations of loop extrusion with growth limited by barriers, in which a heterogeneous population of expanding loops develop along the chromosome. Importantly, CTCF, the factor that imposes similar features in mammalian interphase, is absent in S. cerevisiae, suggesting alternative mechanisms of barrier formation. While grid-like interactions emerge independently of meiotic chromosome synapsis, synapsis itself generates additional compaction that matures differentially according to telomere proximity and chromosome size. Collectively, our results elucidate fundamental principles of chromosome assembly and demonstrate the essential role of cohesin within this evolutionarily conserved process

Global kitchen project: Promoting healthy eating habits and developing 21\u3csup\u3est\u3c/sup\u3e century skills among children through a flipped classroom model

The Global Kitchen project promotes health education and 21st century skills using educational technologies among 2nd and 3rd grade elementary classrooms, offers creative strategies for developing culturally and linguistically responsive Universal Design for Learning (UDL) curriculum while integrating global education and media literacy skills into the curriculum with limited resources, and describes participants\u27 reactions, discoveries, and experiences with new media. Situated within the context of teaching and learning, this Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aims to advance scientific knowledge of transdisciplinary project-based curriculum revolving around global nutrition education as a means to promote healthy eating habits among young children in low-income schools while developing media literacy skills and global competencies and offering the tools to teach children ages 8-10 years about nutrition in a meaningful, integrated way as well as outlining the impact of flipped classroom projects

Global kitchen project: Promoting healthy eating habits and developing 21st century skills among children through a flipped classroom model

The Global Kitchen project promotes health education and 21st century skills using educational technologies among 2nd and 3rd grade elementary classrooms, offers creative strategies for developing culturally and linguistically responsive Universal Design for Learning (UDL) curriculum while integrating global education and media literacy skills into the curriculum with limited resources, and describes participants\u27 reactions, discoveries, and experiences with new media. Situated within the context of teaching and learning, this Participatory Action Research (PAR) project aims to advance scientific knowledge of transdisciplinary project-based curriculum revolving around global nutrition education as a means to promote healthy eating habits among young children in low-income schools while developing media literacy skills and global competencies and offering the tools to teach children ages 8-10 years about nutrition in a meaningful, integrated way as well as outlining the impact of flipped classroom projects

Cohesin Releases DNA through Asymmetric ATPase-Driven Ring Opening

Cohesin stably holds together the sister chromatids from S phase until mitosis. To do so, cohesin must be protected against its cellular antagonist Wapl. Eco1 acetylates cohesin's Smc3 subunit, which locks together the sister DNAs. We used yeast genetics to dissect how Wapl drives cohesin from chromatin and identified mutants of cohesin that are impaired in ATPase activity but remarkably confer robust cohesion that bypasses the need for the cohesin protectors Eco1 in yeast and Sororin in human cells. We uncover a functional asymmetry within the heart of cohesin's highly conserved ABC-like ATPase machinery and find that both ATPase sites contribute to DNA loading, whereas DNA release is controlled specifically by one site. We propose that Smc3 acetylation locks cohesin rings around the sister chromatids by counteracting an activity associated with one of cohesin's two ATPase sites

Clean biofuel production and phytoremediation solutions from contaminated lands worldwide

The overall objective of the H2020 Phy2Climate project is to build the bridge between the phytoremediation of contaminated sites with the production of clean drop-in biofuels. As the project aims for the production of high-quality drop-in biofuels like marine fuels (ISO 8217), gasoline (EN 228) and diesel (EN 590), a biorefinery concept is employed with the thermo-catalytic process (TCR®) at its centre. The produced biofuels will present no Land Use Change risks, thus, the phytoremediation will decontaminate lands from a vast variety of pollutants and make the restored lands available for agriculture, while improving the overall sustainability, legal framework, and economics of the process. In this way, Phy2Climate aims at significantly contributing to the Mission Innovation Challenge for sustainable biofuel production and to almost all UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, that is part of the European Green Deal, and to the new EU Soil Strategy for 2030 adopted in 2021. On the one hand, it is unquestionable that there is a growing demand for land, which increases tensions among the different groups of users. Land is a finite resource, and the main competitors are Feed, Food & Fuel. From the available worldwide arable land, about 71% is dedicated to animal feed, about 18% to food and only about 4% to biofuels (another 7% is for material use of crops). The multiple uttered food vs fuel debate is, actually, a food vs feed debate. However, the increasing demand for biofuels and biobased products also contributes to this tension, but in a much smaller dimension. The increasing land demand for energy crops leads to direct and indirect Land Use Change (iLUC), causing deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and vital water resources. On the other hand, there is a significant area of land which is contaminated and, therefore, unusable for any purpose. Even worse, the investigation, registration as “contaminated site”, as well as the remediation and management of such areas are very cost-intensive, adding even more fuel to the fire.[http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85142472026&partnerID=MN8TOARS