Cohesin preservation across mitosis contributes to restart transcription via Cdk9-mediated activation of RNAPol2.

Cohesin persists through mitosis and is essential for post-mitotic transcriptional reactivation via Cdk9 in human cells.

• Why it matters: Understanding how transcription is reinitiated after mitosis is crucial for insights into tissue growth and development, yet cohesin's regulatory role during this phase remains unclear.
• What they did: Using in vivo labeling and cell-cycle synchronization, the study shows cohesin Rad21 remains through mitosis, with its depletion impairing hundreds of genes, especially those involved in growth, by disrupting Cdk9 interaction and RNAPol2 activity.
• The result: Preserving cohesin across mitosis enables the reactivation of transcription through Cdk9, supporting tissue-specific gene expression programs and highlighting cohesin's critical regulatory function post-mitosis.