Repulsive forces between looping chromosomes induce entropy-driven segregation.

ABSTRACT: One striking feature of chromatin organization is that chromosomes are compartmentalized into distinct territories during interphase, the degree of intermingling being much smaller than expected for linear chains. A growing body of evidence indicates that the formation of loops plays a dominant role in transcriptional regulation as well as the entropic organization of interphase chromosomes. Using a recently proposed model, we quantitatively determine the entropic forces between chromosomes. This Dynamic Loop Model assumes that loops form solely on the basis of diffusional motion without invoking other long-range interactions. We find that introducing loops into the structure of chromatin results in a multi-fold higher repulsion between chromosomes compared to linear chains. Strong effects

SUBMITTER: Bohn M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3014947 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature