Abstract

The SMC condensin complex plays a central role in the compaction and resolution of replicated chromosomes in virtually all organisms. This broadly conserved ring-shaped complex was discovered over 2 decades ago yet the mechanism by which it resolves DNA has remained elusive. Using Bacillus subtilis, we have converted two static assays (chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq)) into dynamic ones allowing us to visualize the consequences of condensin action in molecular detail in vivo. Our findings provide a generalizable model for how condensin complexes compact and resolve replicated chromosomes in all organisms.