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Genomics tools for unraveling chromosome architecture

Nature Biotechnology volume 28, pages 1089–1095 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

The spatial organization of chromosomes inside the cell nucleus is still poorly understood. This organization is guided by intra- and interchromosomal contacts and by interactions of specific chromosomal loci with relatively fixed nuclear 'landmarks' such as the nuclear envelope and the nucleolus. Researchers have begun to use new molecular genome-wide mapping techniques to uncover both types of molecular interactions, providing insights into the fundamental principles of interphase chromosome folding.

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Figure 1: Cartoon of nucleus depicting the spatial interactions that contribute to the overall architecture of interphase chromosomes.
Figure 2: Mapping of interactions of the genome with nuclear landmarks, here shown for the nuclear lamina.
Figure 3: Principles of the major 3C-based technologies.
Figure 4: Speculative cartoon model of chromatin organization.

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Acknowledgements

We thank members of the van Steensel and Dekker labs and M. Walhout for suggestions. This work was supported by the Netherlands Genomics Initiative and an Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research–Earth and Life Sciences (NWO-ALW) VICI grant to B.v.S., a grant from the US National Institutes of Health (HG003143) and a W.M. Keck Foundation Distinguished Young Scholar Award to J.D.

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  1. Division of Gene Regulation, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Bas van Steensel

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Program in Gene Function and Expression, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

    Job Dekker

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van Steensel, B., Dekker, J. Genomics tools for unraveling chromosome architecture. Nat Biotechnol 28, 1089–1095 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.1680

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