Our chromosomes are much longer than the space in which they are packaged in the cell. Chromosome compaction is on the order of several thousand fold, yet these chromosomes have to be unraveled every ...

As chromosomes prepare to separate, the chromatin compacts. Chromosome compaction during mitosis requires the action of condensin proteins and post-translational modifications of histone proteins. In ...

Comparing the length of metaphase chromosomes to that of naked DNA ... compacting it down to less than half an inch. This level of compaction is achieved by repeatedly folding chromatin fibers ...

However, compaction isn't enough. Cells also need to regulate the chromosome structure to enable its function. For example, when genetic information needs to be accessed, the DNA is locally read off.