The patterns of the large-scale spatial organization of chromatin in interphase human somatic cells are not random. Such patterns include the radial separation of euchromatin and heterochromatin, the territorial organization of individual chromosomes, the non-random locations of chromosome territories and the differential positioning of the two X chromosomes in female cells. These features of large-scale nuclear architecture follow naturally from the hypothesis that ATP-consuming non-equilibrium processes associated with highly transcribed regions of chromosomes are a source of ‘active’ forces. These forces are in excess of those that arise from Brownian motion. Simulations of model chromosomes that incorporate such activity recapitulate these features. In addition, they reproduce many other aspects of the spatial organization of chromatin at large scales that are known from experiments. Our results, reviewed here, suggest that the distribution of transcriptional activity across chromosomes underlies many aspects of large-scale nuclear architecture that were hitherto believed to be unrelated.
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September 2020
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Cover Image
This issue of Emerging Topics in Life Sciences is guest edited by Richard Reece, and celebrates 10 years of the Royal Society of Biology. The cover features a photograph submitted by Claire Kremen, who's article discusses how the silvopastoral system in Colombia restores connectivity to landscapes and improves conditions for biodiversity while providing cattle farmers with improved productivity and profitability. Photograph by Andrés Felipe Zuluaga Salazar, The Nature Conservancy.
Perspective|
August 24 2020
Chromatin as an active polymeric material
Gautam I. Menon
1Departments of Physics and Biology, Ashoka University, Plot No. 2, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, National Capital Region, P.O. Rai, Sonepat 131 029, India
2Computational Biology and Theoretical Physics Groups, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, C.I.T. Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600 013, India
3Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
4Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094, India
Correspondence: Gautam I. Menon (gautam.menon@ashoka.edu.in)
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
June 19 2020
Revision Received:
July 31 2020
Accepted:
August 04 2020
Online ISSN: 2397-8562
Print ISSN: 2397-8554
© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society and the Royal Society of Biology
2020
Emerg Top Life Sci (2020) 4 (2): 111–118.
Article history
Received:
June 19 2020
Revision Received:
July 31 2020
Accepted:
August 04 2020
Citation
Gautam I. Menon; Chromatin as an active polymeric material. Emerg Top Life Sci 8 September 2020; 4 (2): 111–118. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/ETLS20200010
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