nuclear chromosome

GO:0000228 · Other · Nucleoprotein complex · Proposed

A chromosome that encodes the nuclear genome and is found in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell during the cell cycle phases when the nucleus is intact. [GO:0000228]

Synonyms: nuclear interphase chromosome

Part of: nuclear lumen (GO:0031981)

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Components

Component	Type	Part of / acts on	Grounding	Genes	Stoichiometry	Essential	Role
nuclear chromosomal DNA	Dna	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)			UNKNOWN	Linear nuclear DNA molecules that carry the eukaryotic nuclear genome. `GO:0000228` GO:0000228 defines a nuclear chromosome as encoding the nuclear genome. `DOI:10.1038/nature08973` Duan et al. 2010 modeled the Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear genome in three dimensions.
chromatin-associated proteins	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)			UNKNOWN	Histone and non-histone proteins that package and organize nuclear chromosomal DNA. `DOI:10.1146/annurev-genet-120116-023438` Noma 2017 reviewed mechanisms that organize the three-dimensional budding-yeast genome.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — COMMON: Budding yeast carries its nuclear genome on chromosomes that are folded into a constrained three-dimensional nuclear arrangement. [DOI:10.1038/nature08973]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — Reference yeast system used to model nuclear chromosome folding and spatial genome organization. [DOI:10.1038/nature08973]

Functions

chromosome organization GO:0051276 — Nuclear chromosomes package chromosomal DNA with chromatin proteins and fold the nuclear genome within the nucleus.
- DOI:10.1146/annurev-genet-120116-023438 Noma 2017 reviewed yeast genome folding and three-dimensional chromosome organization.

Mechanism graphs

Chromatinized DNA folds into a nuclear chromosome (ASSEMBLY)

In budding yeast, nuclear chromosomal DNA is packaged by chromatin proteins and folded inside the nuclear lumen as part of the three-dimensional genome.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
nuclear chromosomal DNA	is a DNA constituent of	nuclear chromosome	`GO:0000228` GO:0000228 defines a nuclear chromosome as encoding the nuclear genome. `DOI:10.1038/nature08973` Duan et al. 2010 modeled Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear chromosomes as folded genomic DNA molecules.
chromatin-associated proteins	organize	nuclear chromosomal DNA	`DOI:10.1146/annurev-genet-120116-023438` Noma 2017 reviewed yeast factors that shape three-dimensional genome organization.
nuclear chromosome	is located in	nuclear lumen	`GO:0000228` GO asserts GO:0000228 nuclear chromosome part_of GO:0031981 nuclear lumen.
nuclear chromosome	undergoes	chromosome organization	`DOI:10.1146/annurev-genet-120116-023438` Noma 2017 reviewed three-dimensional organization of yeast nuclear chromosomes.

Discussions

CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve which histone, condensin, cohesin, centromere and telomere protein cohorts should be modeled as components of the nuclear chromosome rather than process machinery. This first nuclear-chromosome record keeps chromatin proteins as a reviewed label-only aggregate to avoid overclaiming a source-neutral exact component list.

Evidence

GO:0000228 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for nuclear chromosome.
GO:0005694 Gene Ontology cellular-component parent term for chromosome.
GO:0031981 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for nuclear lumen.
GO:0051276 Gene Ontology biological-process term for chromosome organization.
DOI:10.1038/nature08973 Duan et al. 2010, A three-dimensional model of the yeast genome, Nature.
DOI:10.1146/annurev-genet-120116-023438 Noma 2017, The Yeast Genomes in Three Dimensions: Mechanisms and Functions, Annual Review of Genetics.

Curation history

2026-09-15T13:02:15Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-15T13:03:25Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added GO parentage, nuclear-lumen parthood and narrow synonymy, reviewed label-only DNA and chromatin-protein components, eukaryotic and Saccharomyces taxonomic scope, chromosome-organization function, GO/DOI evidence, a nonmechanistic chromatinization graph, and a chromatin-boundary TODO.
2026-09-15T13:04:10Z codex · REFINED_GRAPH — Connected the chromosome-organization process node and neutralized the broad Eukaryota taxon note.
2026-09-15T13:16:10Z codex · REVIEW_FIXES — Resolved PR #977 review issues #978 and #979 by removing a GO-taxonomy-only broad Eukaryota distribution assertion and retuning the chromosomal-DNA graph edge to a composition predicate.

Source: data/structures/other/nuclear_chromosome.yaml