Nipped-B-like protein (NIPBL), also known as SCC2 or delangin is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

that in humans is encoded by the ''NIPBL''

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

. NIPBL is required for the association of

cohesin Cohesin is a protein complex that mediates sister chromatid cohesion, homologous recombination, and DNA looping. Cohesin is formed of SMC3, SMC1, SCC1 and SCC3 ( SA1 or SA2 in humans). Cohesin holds sister chromatids together after DNA rep ...

with DNA and is the major subunit of the cohesin loading complex. Heterozygous mutations in ''NIPBL'' account for an estimated 60% of case of

Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a genetic disorder. People with this syndrome experience a range of physical, cognitive, and medical challenges ranging from mild to severe. The syndrome has a widely varied phenotype, meaning people with the sy ...

Structure and Interactions

NIPBL is a large hook-shaped protein containing

HEAT repeat A HEAT repeat is a protein tandem repeat structural motif composed of two alpha helices linked by a short loop. HEAT repeats can form alpha solenoids, a type of solenoid protein domain found in a number of cytoplasmic proteins. The name "HEAT" i ...

s. NIPBL forms a complex with MAU2 (Scc4 in budding yeast) known as the cohesin loading complex. As this name suggests NIPBL and MAU2 are required for the initial association of cohesin with DNA. Cohesin is thought to mediate enhancer-promoter interactions and generate Topologically associating domains (TADs). As well as mediating cohesion and regulating DNA architecture the cohesin complex is required for DNA repair by

homologous recombination Homologous recombination is a type of genetic recombination in which genetic information is exchanged between two similar or identical molecules of double-stranded or single-stranded nucleic acids (usually DNA as in cellular organisms but may ...

. Given that NIPBL is required for cohesin's association with DNA it is thought that NIPBL is also required for all of these processes. Consistently, inactivation of Nipbl results in the loss topologically associating domains and cohesion. NIPBL binds dynamically to

chromatin Chromatin is a complex of DNA and protein found in eukaryotic cells. The primary function is to package long DNA molecules into more compact, denser structures. This prevents the strands from becoming tangled and also plays important roles in r ...

principally through an association with

. NIPBL’s movement within chromatin is consistent with a mechanism involving hopping between

chromosomal A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

cohesin rings. A cohesin-independent function in the regulation of gene expression has also been demonstrated for NIPBL.

Clinical significance

Mutations in this gene result in

Cornelia de Lange syndrome Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a genetic disorder. People with this syndrome experience a range of physical, cognitive, and medical challenges ranging from mild to severe. The syndrome has a widely varied phenotype, meaning people with the sy ...

(CdLS), a disorder characterized by dysmorphic facial features, growth delay, limb reduction defects, and mental retardation. As these mutations are usually

heterozygous Zygosity (the noun, zygote, is from the Greek "yoked," from "yoke") () is the degree to which both copies of a chromosome or gene have the same genetic sequence. In other words, it is the degree of similarity of the alleles in an organism. Mo ...

, CdLS is caused by a reduction in the abundance of Nipbl not a complete loss. Experiments on cells from patients and mice indicate that the reduction is by less than half. It is not known why a reduction in Nipbl expression results in CdLS.

References

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