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Nature Cell Biology 7, 329–331 (1 April 2005) | doi:10.1038/ncb0405-329

The importance of being Smc5/6

Yoshinori Watanabe

Eukaryotic SMC proteins can be grouped into six conserved classes (Smc1–6) and form three distinct heterodimers: the cores of cohesin, condensin and the as yet unnamed Smc5–Smc6 complex (Fig. 1).