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Contribution of Topological Domains and Loop Formation to 3D Chromatin Organization

Ea, V.; Baudement, M. O.; Lesne, A.; Forne, T.

Genes (Basel)

2015 / vol 6 / pages 734-50

Abstract

Recent investigations on 3D chromatin folding revealed that the eukaryote genomes are both highly compartmentalized and extremely dynamic. This review presents the most recent advances in topological domains’ organization of the eukaryote genomes and discusses the relationship to chromatin loop formation. CTCF protein appears as a central factor of these two organization levels having either a strong insulating role at TAD borders, or a weaker architectural role in chromatin loop formation. TAD borders directly impact on chromatin dynamics by restricting contacts within specific genomic portions thus confining chromatin loop formation within TADs. We discuss how sub-TAD chromatin dynamics, constrained into a recently described statistical helix conformation, can produce functional interactions by contact stabilization.

Read on PubMed

10.3390/genes6030734 genes6030734 [pii]

2073-4425 (Electronic) 2073-4425 (Linking)

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