Polymer modeling of the E. coli genome reveals the involvement of locus positioning and macrodomain structuring for the control of chromosome conformation and segregation.

ABSTRACT: The mechanisms that control chromosome conformation and segregation in bacteria have not yet been elucidated. In Escherichia coli, the mere presence of an active process remains an open question. Here, we investigate the conformation and segregation pattern of the E. coli genome by performing numerical simulations on a polymer model of the chromosome. We analyze the roles of the intrinsic structuring of chromosomes and the forced localization of specific loci, which are observed in vivo. Specifically, we examine the segregation pattern of a chromosome that is divided into four structured macrodomains (MDs) and two non-structured regions. We find that strong osmotic-like organizational forces, which stem from the differential condensation levels of the chromosome regions, dictate the cellul

SUBMITTER: Junier I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3919569 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature