The roles of cohesins and condensins in the eukaryotic cell cycle. Cohesins are loaded onto the chromosomes during G1 (see Section 2.2), tying the sister chromatids together during replication. At the onset of mitosis, condensins bind and maintain the chromatids in a condensed state. During anaphase, the enzyme separase removes the cohesin links. Once the chromatids separate, condensins begin to unload and the daughter chromosomes return to the uncondensed state.