Functional organization of the human 4D Nucleome #MMPMID26080430
Chen H; Chen J; Muir LA; Ronquist S; Meixner W; Ljungman M; Ried T; Smale S; Rajapakse I
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015[Jun]; 112 (26): 8002-7 PMID26080430show ga
We explored the human genome as a dynamical system. Using a data-guided mathematical framework and genome-wide assays, we interrogated the dynamical relationship between genome architecture (structure) and gene expression (function) and its impact on phenotype, which defines the 4D Nucleome. Structure and function entrained with remarkable persistence in genes that underlie wound healing processes and circadian rhythms. Using genome-wide intragene and intergene contact maps, we identified gene networks with high potential for coregulation and colocalization, consistent with expression via transcription factories. In an intriguing example, we found periodic movements of circadian genes in three dimensions that entrained with expression. This work can be broadly applied to identifying genomic signatures that define critical cell states during differentiation, reprogramming, and cancer.