show Abstracthide AbstractVertebrate condensin I and II molecules are loaded onto the genome to mediate essential changes in chromosome condensation during mitosis, but it is not clear how the two forms of condensin become distributed on chromosomes. We report here that condensin II, the form of condensin present in the nucleus throughout the cell cycle, is loaded at transcriptionally active promoters, migrates through these genes in a transcription-dependent fashion and accumulates in transcription termination regions during interphase. During mitosis, condensin I is recruited to actively transcribed genes and replaces condensin II. We conclude that the two forms of condensin are loaded at different times during the cell division cycle at the promoters of actively transcribed genes. Overall design: ChIP-Seq data for Condensin II in v6.5 ESCs treated or not with nocodazole